Aishwarya Sakhuja is an Indian model and actress. She was a Miss India finalist in 2006. From 2010 to 2012, she starred in Sony TV’s show Saas Bina Sasural as Toasty. She was also seen in other fictional shows, including Main Naa Bhoolungi, Trideviyaan, Rishta.com and Yeh Hai Chahatein.
She gets into a deep heart- heart conversation with Women Fitness India, on the roles she chose, fitness, and changing dynamics in the industry.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Aishwarya you started your career with Miss India, and then you played the role in much loved Indian drama Saas Bina Sasusral, tell us about your journey and when did you decide to enter the industry.
Ms. Aishwarya Sakhuja
I went for Miss India in 2006, but I started my modelling journey right after school. So I knew that that was a natural progression for me. And even when I went for Miss India, I knew that I was not going there to win it but just to groom myself. And I don’t think that was the right mindset at that point in time. But yes, I did learn a lot in those 45 days of being there and interacting with the who’s who of the industry. So I always believed it flowed like water. And the other thing that happened to me after Miss India was anchoring, so I took that up. So, as I said, I believed in just allowing the natural progression of things to happen to me. So after anchoring, I got an acting offer.
Of course, I auditioned for it, but that was for YRF if they were coming up with a lot of shows on Sony at that point in time. So I played a little cameo in one of the shows called Rishta.com. And I think that’s when I started getting calls about being a part of the television industry, as I had to audition. And I think I had one or two auditions down the line when I bagged Saas Bina Sasural. And yeah, I mean, television has become home since then.
And when I decided to enter the industry, I think I kind of manifested it because, from a very young age, I had my room filled with posters and pictures of all these beautiful women. So be it major or minor, if I saw a picture of a beautiful woman who’s a model or an actress, she would go up on one of the walls in my room. So I think I just kind of manifested it.
FULL INTERVIEW ON THE NEXT PAGE!
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of womenfitness.org, and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar
Being part of both reality shows and fiction drama, what did you enjoy doing more? As an actor what genres would you would like to explore more?
Ms. Aishwarya Sakhuja
I definitely enjoy acting more because that’s my craft and that’s the skill that I have honed over the years. I think per se, I’m somebody who I won’t call herself private or an introvert, but I essentially entered this industry to be an actor. So yes, I enjoy myself. More as an actor and less as Aishwarya Sakuja on screen, I think Aishwarya Sakuja in real life is good enough for me.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Women Fitness India talks about celebrity diets and fitness regimes, do you follow any special diet? What is your favourite cuisine
Ms. Aishwarya Sakhuja
Yes, a lot of fads have come in when it comes to celebrity diets and fitness regimes, and people just think that you know, everything needs to be done on an instant basis. So I don’t really believe in that. I don’t believe in anything instant, even when it comes to my food, any kind of diet, or any kind of fitness regime. I follow it—I don’t call it a diet because it’s my lifestyle. So I believe in eating completely plant-based food. I don’t believe in eating meat. Of course, I’ve eaten meat and dairy in the past, but these past five years have been an eye-opener for me. So I worship my food. I really do.
And I genuinely feel that what you consume is what makes you who you are. I follow a plant-based diet.
I don’t have any favourite cuisines. I am actually a sucker for nourishment, and I look at the nutritional value of whatever I eat. So I don’t have any favourite cuisines. I just want homemade ghar ka khana, and I’m a sucker for that.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Besides physical fitness, how do you keep up with your mental wellness?
Ms. Aishwarya Sakhuja
Besides physical fitness, how do I keep up with mental fitness? Mental wellness is, like I said, comprised of various things that I do apart from just physical fitness. I do meditate, I do affirmation work, and I pray. I really believe in the power of prayer, and that has kept me sane. And less stressed as how I used to be when I would have been a lot more stressed earlier. But now, because of prayers, affirmations, and because of watching or listening to, you know, motivational talks, that just keeps me going.
Ms. Namita Nayyar
Lastly, how would you define Women Fitness and your thoughts about the magazine?
Ms. Aishwarya Sakhuja
I think we really need to stop defining fitness with your body size. Of course, having extra fat around your abdominal area is not good news, but I just feel that being thin is not epitomizing great fitness for me. Fitness is how I feel right after I wake up in the morning. That is something that really gives me. An idea as to how good my body is doing, of course. I think your body is made for movement and you are supposed to move and not lead. A stationary sedentary lifestyle that we all are now kind of succumbing to because of these gadgets that we have. So stop, You know your. Body size is not the right marker for your fitness and stop comparing. I think we have, we have gotten ourselves down and really low because we are constantly in comparison with other people because we see these happy and quote UN quote happy lives that we see on Instagram that everybody is leading. So we need to stop doing that and I think digital detox is a must. You have to go off your gadgets every few weeks, even if it means going off starting with a few hours and then going on for days and weeks. I think it’s important we do that.
My thoughts of the magazine would be that I would want to congratulate them on allowing fitness to be the focus of their journey and allowing people like you, like me, and so many more to talk about our fitness journeys. I think we’ve kind of started to mark success only with monetary gains, and we don’t really understand or acknowledge the amount of work that goes into your physical and mental well-being. So congratulations on heading that way.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President of Women Fitness