After her weight reached a massive 96 kilos, following a severe bout of typhoid in 2015, Arrtie Gupta had almost lost all hopes of gracing the stage and becoming an actor. Two months later, she slipped into depression, but was made to take up a regular 9 am to 5 pm job to keep her worried doctor parents happy. "After completing physics honours and an MBA in finance in 2014, I got a job in a German automobile company in Pune. While I was good at my work, I hated every second of it. I dreamt of pursuing fame in the Hindi entertainment world instead," recalls the Delhi girl. As every part of her screamed inside for help, her family based in the capital city remained oblivious. "This was when I caught the fever and was battling for my life. My parents rushed to Pune, got me the best treatment and took me back to Delhi," she adds.

As she continued to gain weight, Gupta had a greater war to win. "One day I looked at myself in the mirror and said enough. I cannot keep living for others. I lost 35 kilos by doing yoga in the next few months. And finally, I put my foot down and told my parents I had to go to Mumbai to try my luck in the entertainment industry," the now 24-year-old says, adding, "I lied to them saying everything here had been taken care of, including my accommodation, food and an acting opportunity. But in reality, when I reached Mumbai airport in April 2016, I had no place to go to."