PAULI DAM

Being busty is a boon because then one doesn’t need to wear padded bras! There are many who are not well-endowed and they go in for artificial means like silicone implants or try to look busty by wearing padded bras. That looks alarming! But I think one should be happy with the way one is.

What problems does a busty actress face?

Busty actresses should be careful that they don’t look odd on screen. They should have a trim tummy to look sexy.

What kind of roles does an actress with a full figure get?

It’s got nothing to do with being skinny or having a fuller figure. I think it’s a director’s prerogative to choose his or her heroine according to the role. But heroines should be flexible and be ready to gain or lose weight if and when required.

What do you do to stay in shape?

I hit the gym for light weight training and yoga. Plus, I follow a diet.

What clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

I have no inhibitions. I don’t mind wearing a bikini!

What determines the sex quotient of an actress?

Her eyes. An actress may wear a very revealing outfit but if she sports a dead look she will end up looking a Plain Jane.

The best bods in Bollywood and Hollywood...

I like Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty. They are tall and slender. In Hollywood it’s Angelina Jolie. Or why do you think the sexiest of all men, Brad Pitt, is with her!

DEBLEENA DUTT

Not only Bengalis, men all over the world like curvy women. That’s why Indian actresses are famous all over the world. A full figure means neither plump nor skinny. It’s called the proportionate figure, a desirable body. A skinny figure is ideal for ramp models, not actresses.

What problems have you faced as a skinny actress?

Nothing really because my performance has always been very convincing. But yes, I have got lots of fan mails suggesting that I put on weight. Even my colleagues and directors would suggest that I gain weight. That’s why I thought of putting on weight. And I am getting loads of compliments all the time!

What determines the sex quotient of an actress?

The face. Sex appeal lies between the forehead and the chin! Facial expressions and intelligent eyes are all that matter. The same applies to men as well. That’s why I find Shah Rukh Khan so sexy. There are actors with better bodies but none with SRK’s piercing gaze!

What are the ideal vital stats of an actress on screen?

It depends on the height of an actress. Ideally, it’s 34-24-34 or 36-26-36. But one needs to be thinner in real life to look proportionate on screen. An actress may be skinny off screen but look perfect on screen. Whatever it is, a toned tummy is the most important.

Which body part does one need to focus on?

Waist. It’s important that the waist is narrow even if you are plump.

What are you doing to attain a fuller figure?

I joined a gym. There are exercises specially designed for people like us. Plus, I follow a diet rich in fatty foods, rice and chapatis. Also, lots of sweets and chocolate ice creams, which my colleagues envy!

Your vital stats — before and after...

34-25-35. Earlier, it was slightly less than that.

What clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

I wear my attitude all the time, so there’s nothing that I avoid wearing. I can look equally sexy in a burqa or a bikini!

The best bods in Bolly and Holly...

Shilpa Shetty in Bollywood. She is tall, slender and perfect from head to toe. Her stomach is enviable. In Hollywood it’s Kate Winslet. The fact that she wears a couldn’t-care-less attitude is what I like best about her.

MONAMI GHOSH

It’s a myth that men prefer big breasts but the waist should be narrow. Nobody likes to see a heroine with tyres around her waist. A well-toned figure is what the audience like to see. The ideal classical erotica figure suits an actress when she plays a character in a period piece. When I do the Sahityer Sera Somoy serial, I need to sport a fuller figure, which I do by wearing taant saris and puffy blouses.

What Problems have you faced as a skinny actress?

I was very skinny when I entered the industry. It helped as we look at least two inches fatter on screen. But I faced problems when I would meet my fans in person. Some of them would always urge me to put on weight. But surprisingly, that was the best phase of my career. People still remember me in those serials. Now I have gained around 6kg and there hasn’t been a flood of offers after that. Personally, I wanted to have a full figure as I don’t like skinny women.

Your vital stats — before and after...

They have increased!

What determines the sex quotient of an actress?

Attitude, confidence and the expression in the eyes. A toned waistline is also important to look sexy. A proportionate figure is important. You cannot have a narrow waist and a heavy bosom.

Which body part does one need to focus on?

The arms, waist and bosom.

What did you do to attain a fuller figure?

I joined a gym and skipped shooting for about a month to regularise my diet and sleeping hours.

What Clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

Earlier I would doubt if I could carry off miniskirts and halternecks but now I wear a lot of miniskirts, short dresses, halternecks and spaghetti tops. But that’s got nothing to do with me putting on weight. That’s because over the years I have become more confident and I know what looks good on me. But I would never wear a bikini or a two-piece.

The Best bods in Bollywood and Hollywood...

Katrina Kaif has got a 10/10 body. She is slim and soft. Jennifer Lopez is curvy and carries herself very well.

SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE

I think my audiences have always liked me because I have my assets untouched. i haven’t lost where i shouldn’t! An actress needs to maintain a toned body instead of being too skinny or busty. You can’t be an actress and have tyres on your tummy.

Your vital stats — before and after...

Before 36-29-40. Now 34-27-37.

Why did you want to reduce?

I didn’t want to be skinny like Kareena Kapoor. All I wanted was a toned body. I shed fat from those parts of my body where I had gained so that I could wear western outfits. But I was conscious that I shouldn’t look too skinny in a sari, so I have maintained proper hips to carry a sari. I have also done a bikini shoot for t2.

Did slimming get you more films?

It was not about getting more offers, it was about feeling happy and satisfied when I appeared on screen. In 033 (yet to release), I wear layers of clothes — like full-sleeved shirts, straight pants and stoles — and I look good. In Buddhababu’s (Buddhadeb Dasgupta) Janala, there are scenes where an entire frame has my stomach and Indraneil Sengupta’s hands. Then there are scenes where my skirt is lifted up to my thighs. I am happy with all these because I don’t look fat and ugly. Buddhababu too was happy with my toned figure.

What are you doing to maintain your new look?

I am under a very strict diet which excludes rice and chapatis. I also do power yoga and at least 120 sit-ups. It’s breaking me and I feel I would die!

How have your colleagues reacted to your new shape?

Bumbada (Prosenjit) had warned me that if I lose more weight it would be difficult to find a hero for me! But I guess it has worked for me because the actor opposite me in Lakshyaved (Joy) was really young and since I had lost weight I didn’t look aged next to him!

How does the Bengali audience like its heroines?

Difficult to say. I don’t think they are ready to see a Bengali heroine walk out of the sea in a bikini.

What clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

Now I can wear anything! I am very confident. But I avoid wearing contrast colours, like black and white or red and blue, on screen because it makes you look fatter.

The best bods in Bollywood and Hollywood...

Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron in Hollywood. In Bollywood it’s Shilpa Shetty. She’s so feminine and sexy even at this age!

SUBHASHREE

Slim is in, flab is out. Flab is ugly. I don’t think the Bengali audience likes to see a heroine with chubby cheeks and tyres jiggling around her tummy. I have realised that slim-and-trim heroines look far more smart on screen. My fans went gaga after seeing me in Challenge! Even my family is very excited about the way I look now than my flabby self in Baajimat and Pitribhumi. Now I am motivated to lose a few more ounces of fat!

Why have you lost weight?

After I was chosen for Challenge, Rajda (Chakraborty), Monida and Shrikantda of Shree Venkatesh Films insisted that I lose weight. I reduced more for the song sequences. That’s why in Challenge I look chubbier in some scenes than in the songs!

What problems does a busty actress face?

She easily looks vulgar. Plump heroines face a lot of problems — they look ugly in close-up shots, their cheeks look bloated and they can’t carry all kind of clothes. They don’t look confident on screen. People told me that I looked aged in Pitribhumi and Baajimat.

What did you do to change your body shape?

I hit the gym for two months but it didn’t help. I couldn’t lose even an inch, so I followed a no-rice diet and lost 6kg in a month!

Your vital stats, before and after...

There’s a huge difference and I wouldn’t like to disclose!

What kind of response are you getting after shedding weight?

Everyone has responded positively. I get lots of fan mail now!

What determines the sex quotient of an actress?

It should be there in the eyes of an actress. Also, a heroine should be conscious of what she is wearing and whether she is able to carry it well.

What clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

I am game for anything. I did flaunt a bikini blouse with a shirt teamed with hot pants in Challenge. But I won’t wear a two-piece bikini. I am not comfortable with the idea.

The best bods in Bollywood and Hollywood...

In Bollywood it has to be Katrina Kaif. She is sexy, curvaceous and cute. Keira Knightley tops my list in Hollywood. She doesn’t look vulgar even in just bra and shorts!

SREELEKHA MITRA

I think men still like busty women with broad hips. even i like them! I can never imagine myself as skinny. I don’t think the Bengali audience likes skinny actresses. Bengali actresses are supposed to be a little chubby, I mean slightly on the roly-poly side. With a bit of fat in the right places, Bong actresses look very sexy in saris.

How does the audience react to you?

People have accepted me the way I am. I think I need to shed a few kilos for films. But I am perfect for TV because I do roles that need me to wear saris. I mostly play a wife or a sister-in-law and I think that’s why people have accepted me even though I am not very slender.

Are you considered more sexy now than before when you were skinny?

I don’t know that but I do wear daring outfits now. Besides, I have played daring roles in films like Kantataar and Ek Mutho Chhobi.

Are you happy with your shape?

I am quite okay with it. I can pull off any role. I am comfortable doing scenes that need me to expose. I have no qualms about it. But I would definitely like to reduce. I want to shed 5-6kg but I hate to starve myself!

What do you do to stay in your present shape?

I used to do yoga which I have quit. Now I go for morning walks and follow a diet that doesn’t need me to starve. My weight always fluctuates.

What clothes do you choose or avoid to flaunt your figure?

I avoid miniskirts. I don’t like them. Besides, I have passed the age to be in miniskirts. Otherwise I am comfortable and confident in halternecks, off-shoulders... everything.

Any tips to look good on screen?

Be your natural self. Be happy with whatever you are because that’s most important. There are several plump South Indian actresses who wear revealing clothes with ease. It’s all about being comfortable.

What determines the sex quotient of an actress?

Intelligent eyes and the way she conducts herself.

The best bods in Bollywood and Hollywood...

Kajol. She isn’t skinny at all. Besides, a little tummy can look sexy too! Kate Winslet and Drew Barrymore in Hollywood. They are cuddly and don’t look anorexic.

 

WHAT MEN THINK

Prosenjit

Skinny or curvy?

I would say, neither skinny nor plump. Being overweight doesn’t look good on screen as the camera enhances your proportions by 30-35 per cent. But I think an actor should be flexible about losing or gaining weight, depending on the role he or she is playing. Imagine a skinny Suchitra Sen in Saat Pake Bandha! It just doesn’t go with the character.

Your Hollywood sex symbol: Julia Roberts. I have always admired her. Looks apart, she has tremendous screen presence!

Your Bollywood sex symbol: Kajol. She is such a good actress.

Your Tollywood sex symbol: All of them!

Shirsha roy

(cinematographer of Aladin and Iti Srikanta)

Skinny or curvy?

Lens looks at forms very differently from the human eye. Imagine a one-eyed person looking at you without even a blink or emotion! So, no defect goes unnoticed. You have the angle and lighting tools to make any form look even or harmonious. It is true that when photographed people tend to look heavier than they actually are. So being slim helps in looking the perfect shape. But beauty on screen is a combination of the actor’s persona, the character she is playing, her performance, shape and form.

Your Hollywood sex symbol: Uma Thurman.

Your Bollywood sex symbol: Juhi Chawla.

Your Tollywood sex symbol: There are so many!

Kushali Nag

Who is the sexiest Tollywood heroine and why? Tell t2@abpmail.com