MUMBAI: Those following Kashmera Shah online were pleasantly surprised to see bikini pictures of hers on her social media account. The actress, who had gained weight during the course of her IVF treatment, has shed those extra kilos and has never been more confident. As she enters the Bigg Boss 14's house as a contestant, Kashmera tells BT that she is ready to take on the world.
Talking about her weight-loss journey, she shares, “During a shopping trip in the US with Krushna (husband Abhishek) in December 2019, I realised that I was not fitting into small or medium-size clothes. So, when I returned to India in January, I checked my weight and found it to be 70 kgs. Krushna’s cousin encouraged me by saying that I’d be able to lose all those extra kilos. So, I went on a diet reluctantly. I gave up on rice, bread and chapatis. I started eating in small portions and within 15 days, lost three kilos. This boosted my confidence and I started working out like crazy. When the lockdown happened, I wore a mask inside the house to make sure that I didn’t binge (laughs!). By the time the lockdown was lifted, I came down to 59 kgs. Today, I am 56.4 kgs and I feel proud that I have achieved my goal.”.
Kashmera further recalls putting on weight during the course of her IVF treatment. “My doctor had told me that I would put on weight and I was prepared for it. Back then, we didn’t know that we would eventually have to opt for surrogacy. I was looking forward to becoming a mother and was willing to go to any extent.”, she says.
Elaborating further, she adds, “After 10 years and 14 attempts at IVF, so much steroids had entered my body that it made me sluggish and heavy. I couldn’t even work out as I was trying to conceive and couldn’t exert my body. When it didn’t materialise, I became angry and started eating just about anything. Then we went for surrogacy and I started overeating because of happiness. Finally, when the kids (twins Rayaan and Krishaang) were born, one of them was in the hospital for two months, and I started stress eating. I never kept a check on my diet and weight after that. I didn’t realise that slowly, my self-confidence was reaching an all-time low. Today, I feel good about myself and that’s why I did that photoshoot wearing a swimsuit. I feel proud to say that I have worked extremely hard on my body and didn’t go under the knife to lose weight.”.
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In being pointed out that her photographs have invited some nasty comments about shooting in a bikini; she said, “I have just one thing to say to them - umar nahi kamar dekh. It took a lot of determination to build this body at 49. I am not going to let some silly 14-year-old or 24-year-old with their mother’s phone run me down or shake my confidence. I was like this at 19, 29, 39 and today at 49, I am proud to give myself another chance. I am also happy that I am going back to Bigg Boss, it marks my comeback.”.
Hitting out at the trolls, she adds, “There is this mindset that once a woman becomes a mother, she can’t do bold photoshoots. Arre baba, mummy ki life nahi hoti? This country is known for its strong women. Why are you telling us to sit at home just because we are mothers?”.
The actress goes on to state that she’ll continue to shoot pictures in swimsuits. “Is there an age for wearing a swimsuit? We appreciate 50-year-old Hollywood actresses like Jennifer Lopez in bold looks. Well, hum hamaare country ke Jennifer Lopez hain. Social media has become a good place to hide and target others, but such people can’t define who I am. If I want to shoot pictures in a swimsuit, I will. Unfollow me, if you don’t like it.”, signs off Kashmera.
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Credit: Bombay Times
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