Four years before Kareena Kapoor Khan had popularised the size zero frame in Tashan, Esha Deol had pulled off one among the most notable physical transformations, with her svelte frame in Dhoom (2004). What was rumoured to be the result of 10-hour regimented gym sessions was a far cry from the “plump” avatar she had made her Bollywood debut with, in films like Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, and the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Naa Tum Jaano Hum. 

The actor, now Deol-Takhtani, admits that the request to gain weight for her next, Ek Duaa, was an odd one in an industry that has “always been telling me to look fit and slim”. What made this task particularly toilsome was that she had only recently shed 10 kilos of pregnancy weight, following the birth of her second child. Deol had learnt from her two pregnancies that gaining weight did not have to imply following a diet comprising unhealthy processed foods. Choosing to take to carbohydrate-loading, she kept pizzas and burgers at bay, and upped the quantity of rice and ghee in her diet. Deol also pressed pause on her cardiovascular and weight-lifting routines to ensure that her body was in a caloric surplus. “I’d merely head for walks in my compound to keep my mind calm.”