Arjun Kapoor is in a happy space these days. The actor, who was appreciated for his performance in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, also took charge of his health during the recent months and focused on getting fitter. In a conversation with Bombay Times, the 2 States actor speaks candidly about battling weight issues, facing body shaming on social media and his fitness journey. He shares that he has struggled with weight issues since his childhood. “Not many know, but I have been battling obesity for the longest time. I was just not a fat kid, it was a health issue. It hasn’t been easy. My underlying health condition has always made it a struggle for me to constantly stay a certain size. While I have been criticised a lot for my physique, I have taken it on the chin because people expect actors to be seen in a certain body type. I understand that. They haven’t understood the struggle that I have gone through and it’s alright. I have to only prove it to myself and to people who believe in me,” he says.
Elaborating on his continuous struggle to maintain a certain fitness level, he says, “My condition makes it difficult for me to achieve quick results. The transformation people can achieve in a month, it takes me two months to do that. For a year, I have single-mindedly focussed on myself to achieve my current body type and I desire only to get fitter and better. This journey has shown me that nothing is impossible. I just have to keep at it. Unfortunately, shaming has become a part of our lives, and I can only hope that we get better as a society.”
The constant scrutiny, trolling and body shaming that actors face on social media makes it an uphill task to stay positive. Arjun explains, “The pressure to be relevant in the industry is immense and the negativity does get to you. When my films weren’t working to the level that I expected them to, the negativity just mounted. The triggers that had caused my health issue in the first place came back, but I tried hard to keep going and make every day count. When you are constantly engulfed in work, you don’t realise the slide that you could be going through. You could be crumbling from inside while putting on a brave face. It happened to me; it happens to a lot of people.”
However, life seems to have taken a turn for the better with the appreciation he received for Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. “The success of this film meant a lot for me. I have been able to achieve a better physique and I credit my state of mind to be a huge factor for this. I’m happy that I’m work in progress; I think we all are. So, if people have liked that I have lost weight and am looking much better, I thank them for their encouragement. Positivity and negativity are just part of our job. As actors, we just have to accept it and move on,” says Arjun Kapoor.
While looking good on screen has been a major motivating factor to get fit, the actor, who will next be seen in Ek Villain 2, also credits his loved one for his success in this journey. He says, “I’m fortunate to have people around me who have been pillars of strength. They made me believe in myself and feel that I deserve to be where I am. I also have to thank all my fans and the people who only sent positive vibes to me during this phase of my life, because it kept me going and made me focus on myself and my life.”
