Sara Ali Khan's drastic weight loss journey from 96 to 46 kilos

From a 96 kilo student who liked to gorge on pizzas and all things fried just like the best of us to a diva with a toned figure, her dramatic transformation has got tongues wagging.

For Sara, it was her sheer ambition which made her make the big lifestyle change. In an interview, the actress spoke up about wanting to look fit and different before the camera. She said, "We can talk about acceptance and equality, but you will not watch a movie with your lead heroine being 96 kilos."

However, that didn't mean she was going the skinny way. Size zero figure never impressed her and neither did being overweight. In her own words, Sara said that she wanted to feel healthy and empowered, emotionally, physically and mentally.

Always confident and ambitious, more than the body image issues, it was her health that troubled her. She knew what she was signing up for and also, that she had to work on herself. Diagnosed with PCOS, Sara admits that it was difficult managing the condition and she knew it would only get more difficult. Hence, came the change. She adds,

"With me, being fat was also a consequence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Our job is demanding when it comes to hours, mood, dedication, commitment, and focus. You cannot afford to have [your] hormones all over the place. Weight loss for me was as much about health and confidence as it was about vanity."

The real low point for Sara came when her own mother failed to recognize her at the airport. She was so disheartened by this, she refused to talk to her mother on videocall till the time she lost that weight. She even completed her graduation early so that she had time to focus on her body.

Sara said that the biggest turning point for her when she made the switch from pizza to salads, something which was difficult for her to do during her student days spent in New York. Her workout regime included everything from functional training, boxing, and even cycling.

Sara still swears by functional training and heavyweight cardio, which helps her stay in shape through hectic days. Working out in the gym is something she doesn't miss and spends around 1.5 hours six days a week. Pilates and power yoga are also something she has included in her regime. It also helps her recover from her busy shoots.

For Sara, doing Pilates has been a big game changer. She trains under celebrity Pilates trainer Namrata Purohit and as the budding actress says, the workout regime is her 'backbone' of her fitness journey.

Sara said, “I went to Columbia for four years and at the end of the second year, I decided that I really want to act, like I said I have always known, but that realisation coincided with the weigh scale saying that I’m 96 kilos. So, it was a bit difficult. Then it was the senior year of college in America itself that I lost the weight.”

“I was a regular kid. It made it very hard for me to a. lose weight and b. the hormone level was very high. So, as you can see, there is a level of delusion that was in me...I was confident, I was delusional,” she added.

Sara also spoke about her fitness regime and how she practices Kathak, yoga, Pilates and intense workouts to keep in shape. She also underwent boot camp training.

The actor is currently working on her fourth film, Coolie No 1 being directed by Imtiaz Ali. She will be seen alongside Varun Dhawan.