Overweight Shabana is suffering

MUMBAI: Shabana Azmi, who had put on 30 pounds to get into the skin of her character in Gurinder Chadha’s It’s a Wonderful Afterlife, says that she had risked her life in pushing her body to the edge at a sensitive age of 58 and that her doctors have now restricted her to a no-oil diet so that she could lose fat quickly. Azmi says , “My cholesterol levels have shot up alarmingly and I have to work doubly hard to reduce my weight. I was so fat that I couldn’t tie my shoelaces,” says the actor who has lost five pounds post the film’s wrap up.

She defends her actions saying, “Gurinder couldn’t have done with padding because I have a very slim face. I had to put on weight all over or else it would have looked fake.” But Shabana’s body went through hell during shooting.” “I have a very bad back and putting on weight damaged it further. I was suffering from excruciating pain and constantly went to the doctor who asked me lose weight immediately,” she said.