Vidya Balan returned to the big screen with the third installment of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa franchise. Recently, the actor also opened up about his body image, embracing his unique journey and how his relationship with his body has evolved over the years. In an exclusive interview with India Today Digital, Vidya revealed how, after losing weight, she started getting offers for roles for which she was not considered earlier.

Looking back, Vidya revealed that her journey towards self-acceptance began after The Dirty Picture. “I came to a point several years ago where my body actually stopped reacting to anything and that was after The Dirty Picture. I went through some hormonal issues, and no matter what I did, I got more swollen, but I told myself I shouldn’t let it get to me. I realized that this is the body that keeps me alive, and I am only sending it hatred because I wanted it to be what it is not,” she told India Today Digital.

Vidya said that she found acceptance with the help of the therapist with whom she had worked for 13 years. She shared, “My relationship with my body started to change. I started thanking my body. My health started to improve because I think we don’t realize that it’s not just exercise, food, sleep and water, but also the emotion we put into our bodies, and a big part of that is so It’s because we hold on to a lot. Sometimes people gain weight due to fear, while some lose weight due to this. We all express things differently and there is no right or wrong. It is impossible to have any scale to measure dead bodies. I know it’s there, but I think it’s wrong.”

She also revealed that she learned to accept the ups and downs of her body, accept herself completely and let her confidence shine. However, she admitted that she felt troubled when she couldn’t lose weight despite her efforts.

“I think I’ve started to embrace my body through the ups and downs. I embrace myself and put myself out there no matter how I’m feeling inside and that’s helped me accept myself more,” she stressed.

Vidya further said, “The more I exercised, the more my weight increased. When I came in contact with a health institution, I went to them to find out if I had any serious medical problem related to my intestine. I often had acidity. They told me that my body is not fat but swelling And that was the first thing that went. I had reached a point where it wasn’t about the weight, but I had a life-changing revelation. I was putting too much pressure on the body, which is why it became swollen.”

She emphasized that a welcome byproduct of this was that she was able to lose weight, but that she was not pursuing it.

However, has this changed the way the industry hires them? Vidya revealed, “I stopped encouraging any comments about my body a few years ago. Now, of course, a lot of people are telling me that you’ve lost weight, and I thank you. I would say that I am being offered certain types of roles which were not being offered to me earlier. But having said that, because I never saw it as a limitation, there was never a shortage of work. I remember Zoya Akhtar told me that I was the sexiest. I stand by that compliment because I’m still trying to fully understand it. It felt great.”

Vidya has not announced her next project yet. Before Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, She was seen in Do and Do Pyaar.