Post-natal weight gain gave Kanica Maheshwari the ‘misfit’ label in the industry

Actor Kanica Maheshwari, who has an adorable three-year-old son Reyansh, is enjoying every minute of motherhood. However, she says that she cannot forget the struggles that she faced post pregnancy when people began to doubt her calibre as an actor because of the weight gain.

“Acting was always my passion, which turned into a profession, and I actively worked for a couple of years before pregnancy... and it still baffles me that it became a hurdle in my career,” shares Kanica, who played the role of Meenakshi Raathi in the show Diya Aur Baati Hum.

The actor, who is married to businessman Ankur Ghai, worked almost throughout her pregnancy (eight and a half months), and took a maternity break of 25 days, hardly.

“I had put on weight, which is a given, but my weight didn’t affect my performance. There are times when I was termed a ‘misfit’ in the industry due to my weight gain, but that never took away my passion for being an actor,” she says, adding, “Pregnancy is not an illness and there is no way it should stop a woman from continuing her career.”

The actor eventually did reduce her weight. She says, “The fat to fit journey was an arduous one. I’ve lost around 17 kilos and in fact am today in better shape than I was pre-pregnancy. However, this is not due to any pressure but rather a personal choice of wanting to be healthy. I was lactating for about 17 months and chose to eat healthily and maintain a balanced lifestyle for the well-being of my child.”

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First Published: Aug 13, 2018 17:43 IST