Actress Tanishaa Mukerji, in a recent interview, opened up about the intense physical transformation she went through for Neal ’n’ Nikki, recalling how filmmaker Aditya Chopra pointed out her “love handles” and asked her to tone her body for the role.

During an interview with Mamaraazzi, Tanishaa shared that Chopra had called her in for a screen test for the film. She added that while she had not followed his career advice in the past, she decided to trust his guidance “blindly” for this project.

Highlighting the importance of a toned appearance during the film’s first photoshoot, Tanisha said, “My first photo session for Neal ‘n’ Nikki, I had all these love handles, and he was like, ‘No, you can’t look like this. You need to be toned.’”

“After that first photo session, I just went crazy, and I transformed my body because I was so focused on reaching that ultimate goal, and then he was like, ‘Yes, this is Nikki',” Tanishaa further said.

Sharing details about her fitness regimen at the time, Tanishaa noted that she followed a disciplined balance of diet and exercise after finding a routine that suited her.

However, she added that maintaining such intense regimens for too long can lead to hormonal imbalance, something she personally experienced.

Directed by Arjun Sablok, Neal ’n’ Nikki, also starring Uday Chopra, hit theatres on December 9, 2005. Produced by Yash Chopra under the banner Yash Raj Films, the film also features Abhishek Banerjee in a special appearance.

The film follows Neal and Nikki as they travel across Canada in search of what they want most, embarking on an eventful journey.

Tanishaa was last seen in the 2024 film Luv You Shankar.