Unlike her contemporaries, who went on a strict diet regime to shed those extra kilos, "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" actress Bhumi Pednekar says she never starved herself to get rid of her fuller figure.

The Mumbai-born actress, who lost 27 kgs since last December, said she thoroughly enjoyed her weight loss journey.

"The journey of shedding weight was tough but the only good thing was it did not take a toll on my health. It was all natural and planned. It didn't affect me mentally, which generally happens.

"But I did have to do a lot of hardwork. It was a fun process for me. I really enjoyed doing it. There wasn't any day when I was missing on anything because I was taking the fat-free version of it," she told PTI.

Bhumi, 25, made a powerful debut with Yash Raj's romantic-comedy drama "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. Her character of an ambitious overweight girl Sandhya in the film, which released in February, touched many hearts.

"The film was more like an achievement for me because this was something which I always wanted to do. My personal life hasn't changed much post the film. 'Dum Laga Ke Haisha' gave me a lot of love, respect and acceptance. It makes me happy that people are recognising me and they speak a lot about my work," she said.

Asked whether she was apprehensive about making her debut with a role which was unconventional, Bhumi said, "When I read the script I was completely blown away. I was looking at the bigger picture. I was getting what I love. I fell in love with Sandhya's character. I didn't know how my journey would be portraying her on-screen."


The young actress started her journey in showbiz as a casting professional under Yash Raj Films. Being in the profession for a very long time, Bhumi feels looks do not matter much if one is honest to his/her performance.

"As an actor, whatever role you are doing you need to be true to it. It's not only your mental transformation but also your physical changes that add to your role. I feel how you look like in real life does not come into play. If you are honest to a role, you will get noticed."

The actress is elated with the way her career has shaped up post the Sharat Kataria directed film.

Now, she is meeting directors and very soon will announce her next project, which will show her in a completely different avatar.

"I am meeting a lot of people and reading a lot of scripts. Very soon, I will be announcing my second project. Surprisingly, I am not getting roles where the makers look at me like Sandhya and that is a motivation for me. The roles I am getting are diverse and amazing. I happy that I am not getting pigeonholed after my first film."