Fitness First: ‘Vidya Balan’

Reportedly, a film on hockey legend Dhyan Chand is in the pipeline—(Karan Johar and Pooja Shetty have acquired the rights), Aamir Khan is already prepping for Dangal which is reportedly based on the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and Sushant Singh Rajput gets to play former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Neeraj Pandey’s M.S. Dhoni, the Untold Story.

Sports as a subject for films, outside of biopics too is fast catching up. John Abraham for instance, will be seen in 1911, a film about the Mohun Bagan’s victory against the British football team club is one such. Among the notable features of such films is the physical transformation that an actor has to undergo for pulling off sporty roles with elan.

Farhan Akhtar in his remarkable makeover for the role of Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag set an impressive precedent. He went through the gruelling training and attained such an exceptional level of fitness and physical stamina that he was even invited to participate in an athletic event meant for professional sportspersons!

Unfortunately, not everyone in showbiz, although they are all in perfect shape, can boast of Akhtar’s fitness levels. The ugly truth is that despite repeated denials, the pressure to be shape shifters—to go from bulky to thin and back to normal, all within impossibly short time spans is not an easy one. Hence resorting to unnatural means is understandable.

A lot of times, actors go under the knife, or on a crash diet and occasionally even hazard using steroids with or without complete knowledge of their side-effects. The result is not always a good one. Recent health scares like Sonam Kapoor’s fainting spree have again fuelled speculations about questionable practices like yo-yo diets that help drop sizes, although the actress has denied that it was caused by any such.

Vidya Balan Kapur who has had an uneasy relationship with her weight revealed recently that a nutritionist she consulted during the making of Paa had, without giving her true and correct information, prescribed her weight loss pills (also known as fat-burners that accelerate the metabolic rate) which did aid her in shedding the kilos but in the long-term, also messed up her health.

Balan is among the rare few who have said it out loud, but there are several others who are happy to use the quickfixes for short term gains. Awareness of the damage such methods can wreak on one’s health are making celebrities in particular speak up on a range of health related matters just like Balan did.

Deepika Padukone’s drive against depression—that oft cited reason held responsible for many a tragic and untimely suicide—has brought the subject out in the open and made it a topic of conversation. Let’s hope that several others will join the health and fitness bandwagon for the betterment of not just their own selves but also for those who unquestioningly follow in their footsteps.