Of fitness and Dark Chocolate

Actress Mahima Chaudhry on her possible comeback and need to walk

Mahima Chaudhry

Mahima Chaudhry has had an eventful Friday. Her morning went for a toss due to the Mumbai rains. Her flight to the city was filled with apprehension, with the aircraft “tossing due to the turbulence”. But there’s a calm in Chennai, where she’s come, after a long while, to launch the Advanced Beauty and Cosmetic Clinic (ABC) at Kilpauk. In a quick chat, she speaks to MetroPlus about her love for films and fitness. Excerpts:

You’re here to launch a beauty clinic…

Events take up pretty much of my life now. I usually get invites from the North and Northeast, but when I was called to Chennai, I jumped at the opportunity. As a model, I have shot here for many brands.

You did a Bengali project recently. It was said to be loosely based on the Sheena Bora case...

I won’t say I’m actively back into films. But, I kept getting calls from the Bengali film industry — so I did Dark Chocolate recently. It’s based on a mother getting rid of her child. If this script had come to me some years ago, I would’ve thought the director had written a horrid story. But, you read about such incidents now. Dark Chocolate was shocking. In fact, it is playing at the Fog festival in San Francisco later this month. That’s where I will see it for the first time.

So, are you looking at a comeback of sorts?

Now, I can vaguely think about it — but till now, I was happy doing what I had done and raising my child. I love live events — because it’s just a day’s work. Film shoots are still a 100-day project; and it includes preparing for the role, travelling, promotion, etc. Ideally, I would like to be in Aamir Khan’s shoes, and do one project in three years, but most actors need to keep doing films. For that, you need to first have a smooth system at home. Now that I have done a Bengali film, I can think about a comeback.

Any films in the South?

I don’t know any of the languages, but I would like to do something. In Mumbai, one does hear a lot about cinema from the South; the scripts I get back there are rights of remakes of South Indian films.

You are vocal about fitness these days…

As actors, we are mostly in shape and into fitness. Most people are informed about what to eat and what not to; but very few people actually follow it. Isn’t it funny that all Indians say, ‘Let’s meet up for lunch or dinner?’ Nobody says, ‘Let’s meet for a walk’. If you see a mall without a food court, it usually shuts down.

So, what’s the solution to stay fit?

Diets are a big fad among many people... I think we are eating a lot of processed food outside. The solution is to go back to the diet of your parents and grandparents. What people do is to eat outside and also go home to mom’s food. Earlier, they had six festivals and a few weddings where they binged. Now, every evening is a wedding.

One simple workout that you swear by…

Walking. Be regimental about it — in the morning and evening. If you don’t have access to gyms or yoga instructors, just walk.