Fardeen Khan On His Transformation After Getting Trolled For Weight Gain: Wasn't In A Great Space

Fardeen Khan is making his acting comeback after a 14-year hiatus with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The actor is very happy with the development as it gave him an opportunity to silence his "inherent fears" and start afresh like a newcomer. Khan, who was trolled on social media for weight gain in 2016, said he decided to take charge of his health in 2019 as he "wasn't in a great space".

Fardeen Khan reflects on her journey towards fitness

In a conversation with PTI, Khan talked about the time he decided to go on a hiatus. The actor said he needed to focus on his personal life after the death of his actor-producer father Feroz Khan in 2009. His last release was Dulha Mil Gaya which came out in 2010. Talking about his body transformation, Khan said, “At the time, I was overweight. There were certain lifestyle choices I made that definitely were working in my favour. So, I made some serious changes and that started off my journey. I started training in June of 2020, I have a picture from the first day of training. In those six to eight months, I lost about 18 or 19 kg."

Asked about the moment when he realised he was ready for a comeback, Khan said it was in 2020 during the pandemic when he was stuck in London, UK. "After I came back to Bombay, I knew this is where I belong, and this is where I wanted to be, which is being part of the storytelling process. It's a very unique profession and even though it's all-consuming, and it demands that you risk everything, it's a beautiful profession," added Khan. 

What is Heeramandi about?

Billed as an epic saga of love, power, revenge and freedom, the series explores the cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, through the stories of courtesans and their patrons set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s. 

The series is based on the concept by Moin Beg. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is created and directed by Bhansali. He also serves as a producer on the show. The series premiered on Netflix on May 1.