A domed serve tray laden with bite sized snacks and a hot beverage waits on the coffee table as Sonali Bendre wraps up a photo-op with the press. Finally sitting down to talk, the actor reveals that “healthy snacking” has long been an integral part of her regimen.
When it comes to food Sonali keeps a firm check on what she eats. Food has to be “completely healthy” for her and any sort of junk is a complete no-no. Her secret, she reveals after much prodding, is “lots of meals throughout the day”.
“I just eat a meal every two hours,” she elaborates by adding, “Although if I don’t feel like one I just skip it”. This routine has been one that Sonali has kept since an early age.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s been a childhood habit of mine and my mother used to hate this about me,” she remarked. “I tell my mom now ‘Look at this, this is what you used to hate. But now this is just what people pay dieticians lakhs of rupees to tell them that you have to eat every two hours. Actually I saved you money”, she says laughing.
At 37 being a mother of a 7-year-old son, Sonali is now more focussed unlike before.
“Now I do need to go through with it,” she tells, adding that for her physical fitness primarily constitutes going to the gym.
ADVERTISEMENT
Because of an accident that left her with problems in her knee and back, the emphasis of her workouts is on strengthening activities. She reveals, “My joints are very weak because of the accident and I needed to go through physiotherapy and everything. So strengthening is very very important for me”.
Post her hiatus from films, Sonali has kept busy with a vibrant television career with stints on various reality shows like Indian Idol and India’s Got Talent . And needless to say they bring with them their share of physical and mental stress. “When travelling or on shoots, I just eat very often. That’s the time when I don’t really work out but I come back and get back on the schedule”
Simply hitting the gym also has great mental rewards for Sonali. She is of the opinion that “every time you work out it’s amazing and the workout always puts me in a good mood”. The actor who has been on a sabbatical since 2004 is now preparing for a comeback on big screen with Once Upon A Time In Mumbai 2 . Sonali plays the role of Mumtaz in the film. Visibly excited about her comeback she says, “It’s the sequel to the original and I have an interesting role. We start shooting for that in a month or so and I’m looking forward to it.”