Baba and the bulge

Arjun Kapoor

For an actor whose struggle with the bulge has been a public debate, Arjun Kapoor realises that it is, perhaps, time to take the mic into his hands. Kapoor, who recently wowed fans with his dramatic weight-loss, is keen to create a platform that encourages people to take sustainable steps towards a healthy lifestyle instead of turning to quick-fix methods that show limited results.

"I'm grateful for the support I got after I spoke about my fight with obesity. I didn't expect people to be so appreciative of my journey. I'm owning every bit of my life without the fear of being judged. People have told me that I should keep on speaking openly about my struggle, because many in India are going through the same thing, especially the youth," says the actor, who emphasises on mental well-being just as much as he does on physical health.

Terming the experience of opening up about his struggles as "liberating", he says, "I had to take on trolls who are ignorant about this serious issue plaguing the youth. We need a compassionate world and we need to vocalise our issues openly. I plan to start an initiative that gives a platform to people to openly talk about such issues, and their mental health. I'm going to work on this in the upcoming months and see if I have a plan of action that can benefit many. For most people, this is a constant struggle, because not everybody is blessed with perfect genes and great metabolism."