Tanushree Dutta: Lost 18 kilos in 18 months; have been working on getting fitter since Sept 2019

Last week, Tanushree Dutta put up a video on her Instagram, where she looked fitter than ever before. “People think this is sudden, nothing is sudden. I have been working on losing weight since September 2019 and have lost 18 kilos in 18 months due to a lot of focus and dedication,” says the actor, talking about her transformation.

She reveals that in 2019 she decided to work on getting fitter after she visited a temple in Ujjain and fasted that day. “Post the fast, I felt very good and I started fasting every Monday. My body felt lighter and so I continued with it and worked out regularly as well. When I realised my weight was dropping, I got a trainer to intensify the workouts. Later, I changed my diet, dropped carbs, sugar, gluten from my diet and stuck to soup, salad and juice diet with one cheat day a week. With weight training, intermittent fasting, yoga, swimming and dance classes and switching between all these, I lost weight. I was 80 back then and right now I am 62. What people are noticing is not just my weight loss but also a shift in my energy and vibe,” she says.

Often actors transform for a role or project and Dutta admits that she has been in talks with filmmakers. “When the time is right everything comes together. You think of things seriously that you didn’t think of earlier. Till August 2019, I was settled in US and wasn’t sure if I wanted to return. In fact, I was okay with my weight, as people complimented me as I dress well and look good. So, the impetus for someone like me to lose weight is little. Sure, in India, the media scrutiny led to social media trolling but that was as they compared me to what I looked like 10 years. They comment on weight because they want to be mean. All these years, I did celebrity appearances and ads in the US and India. Why would those people work with me if I looked so bad, though I was overweight yet I looked good. I was fine with whatever shape I had. People pick on you with what pinches you but my weight never bothered me. I was voluptuous and got compliments for it (laughs).”

Dutta is now focused on returning to acting and has “almost signed” a film which is now pushed due to the pandemic. “I am in talks with three other makers and two might start shoot soon but will wait for producers to announce. Once people knew that I was back for good, they started approaching me as they know it is viable to have me start in a project. Makers want a crowd-puller and I am crowd-puller,” she concludes.