Vidya Balan bowled the audience over with her act in hits like ‘The Dirty Picture‘, ‘Shakuntala Devi‘ and ‘Tumhari Sulu’. The actress has come a long way and refuses to slow down. Talking about her journey that has been often punctuated with talks about her weight issues, Vidya, in an exclusive interaction with ETimes’ Executive Editor Vinita Dawra Nangia, said, “It was important for me to have gone through what I did. It was very public and at that time it was so insurmountable. I come from a non-film family. There was no one to tell me that these phases don’t last. My weight issue had become a national issue. I have always been a fat girl; I wouldn’t say that I am at a stage where my fluctuating weight doesn’t bother me anymore at all. But I have come a long way. I have had hormonal issues all my life. For the longest time, I hated my body. I thought it had betrayed me. On the days I was under the pressure of looking my best, I would bloat up and I would be so angry and frustrated”.

Happy to be in her own skin, Vidya added, “Over time, I accepted that my body is the only thing that is keeping me alive because the day my body stops functioning, I am not going to be around. I have a lot of gratitude for my body. It doesn’t matter what I have been through, I am alive because of this body. It’s blood and bones. With each day I have begun to love and accept myself more, but it’s not been easy. You have to fake it till you make it.”

The ‘Kahaani’ actress further adds that her body didn’t matter to her, after a point. “The length of your hair, the thickness of your arms, curves, height don’t matter; what matters is who you are as a person. When you appreciate the person that you are, every imperfection looks small; but it doesn’t strike you when you are loathing and hating yourself. It’s a very precious and tough lesson that I have been through. I have realised, it is not people judging you but rather how you judge yourself. We all need to be cautious when we are bringing up children, the colour of the skin, weight, especially with girls,” concludes Vidya.