Arjun Kapoor opens up about battling obesity for the longest time: "I was just not a fat kid, it was an issue"

Actor Arjun Kapoor is on a career-high after scoring with his latest outing Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Arjun, who has lost a considerable amount of weight that has caught everyone’s eyes, says that he is finally feeling happy after a couple of years, and reveals his emotional journey to battle obesity and body shaming on social media.

Arjun says, “I’m really and it’s a special feeling because it has been a couple of years since I have felt this way. I’m grateful to audiences and critics for loving my performance in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. The success of this film meant a lot for me personally and has charged me up for the future that lies ahead of me as an actor. I have been able to achieve a better physique and I credit my state of mind to be a huge factor for this to happen.”

Arjun admits that he has had a tough time reigning his mind in to think positively as he struggled with obesity since his childhood. He says the internet is also a toxic place and shaming someone without understanding what he/she might be going through has become a sad culture today.

He reveals, “My underlying health condition has always made it a struggle for me to constantly stay a certain size. Not many know but I have been battling obesity for the longest time. I was just not a fat kid, it was an issue. It hasn’t been easy. While I have been criticized a lot for my physique, I have taken it on my chin because people expect actors to be seen in a certain body type. I understand that. They haven’t understood the struggle that I have gone through and it’s ok. I have to only prove to myself and to people who believe in me.”

Arjun further elaborates saying, “My condition makes it unique for me to achieve quick results. The transformation people can achieve in a month, it takes me 2 months to do so. So, I have single-mindedly focussed on myself for a year to achieve my current body type and I desire to only get fitter and better. This journey has really motivated me and shown me that nothing is impossible. I just have to keep at it, no matter what. Unfortunately, shaming has sadly become a part of our culture and I can only hope that we get better as a society. Yes, I still have hope.”

Arjun admits that despite delivering hits, all actors are constantly under pressure to prove themselves, exposed to public glare and scrutiny and their lives are dissected and judged by everyone. He says it is not an easy profession to be in.

Arjun says, “The pressure to be relevant in the industry is immense and the negativity does get to you. At a time, when my films weren’t working to the level I expected them to fire, the negativity just mounted. The triggers that had caused my health issue in the first place came back and I tried hard to keep going, make every day count.”

He adds, “When you are constantly engulfed in work pressure, you don’t realise the slide that you could be going through. You don’t realise that you could be crumbling from inside while putting up a brave face. It happened to me. It happens to a lot of people.”

People are saying it's Arjun 2.0 time after he has delivered a solid performance with Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. He admits that the praise that an actor gets definitely inspires and helps in feeling loved.

Arjun says, “I’m happy that I’m work in progress. I think we all are. So, if people are liking, that I have lost weight and looking much better, I thank them for their encouragement. Positivity and negativity are just part of our job. So, as actors, we just have to accept it and move on.”

He adds, “During the pandemic, I started reading up on various things about positive living and that helped me sort many things out. I have constantly tried to centre myself and maybe, the lockdown, helped me focus on just myself and cut out all the unnecessary noise that one has to deal with in this industry.”

Arjun is looking his best in recent times. He will be seen in Ek Villain 2 – a big theatrical entertainer that he feels will contribute towards bringing people back to the theatres. He reveals that he had to push himself like never before to achieve the physique that director Mohit Suri wanted. For Arjun, he wanted to go through the grind for himself.

“I hope people will be pleasantly surprised when they see me in Ek Villain 2. Mohit Suri has envisioned me in a certain way on screen and I’m working really hard to ensure that I look the part and deliver a solid, entertaining performance,” he says.

Arjun credits his family and fans for never letting go of his hand when the going got tough for him.He says, “All I can say is that I’m fortunate and grateful to have people who have been pillars of strength around me. They have made me feel loved and made me feel special, and that has really made me look forward to every single moment in my life. They made me believe in myself and made me feel that I deserve to be where I am today. I also have to thank all my fans and the people who only sent positive vibes to me during this phase of my life because it kept me going, it made me focus on myself and my life.