Fatima Sana Shaikh recalls battling eating disorder after Dangal transformation: "I felt I had no control"

Fatima Sana Shaikh stars in Dangal

• Fatima Sana Shaikh underwent intense physical transformation for Dangal
• She battled bulimia and binge eating after the film, affecting her mental health
• A close friend helped her confront and address her eating disorder

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Fatima Sana Shaikh underwent a significant physical transformation for Dangal. The actress practised diligently for the film, frequently for three hours every day, in addition to other exercises.

Fatima devoured between 2,500 and 3,000 calories a day to gain weight for the role. Bulimia, starvation cycles, binge eating, and a protracted process of re-establishing a positive relationship with food were all part of it.

During a recent appearance on the 'Chapter 2 with Rhea Chakraborty' podcast, Fatima Sana Shaikh discussed her physical transformation.

The actress described the structured, athlete-like mindset she adopted during the film and said, “When I am goal-oriented, I will do everything.”

However, the structure vanished once the shoot was finished. The hunger didn't. Her eating habits persisted even though she was no longer training as hard. The balance tilted slowly. What started out as a shift in habit evolved into something more profound. Comfort comes from food. Control started to falter.

She admitted, “I could eat for two hours non-stop. I have two extremes. If I am not holistic, I go towards extremes.”

The pattern—binge, guilt, restriction—became all too familiar. She would become fixated on calorie counts, figuring out how many hours she had left in the day and how to "undo" the food she had consumed.

However, the structure vanished once the shoot was finished, but the hunger didn't. Her eating habits persisted even though she was no longer training as hard. The balance tilted slowly.

She further noted, “The problem is not in the food. It’s in you because you’re feeling insecure. You’re eating your feelings.”

During one of the conversation's most vulnerable points, Fatima revealed that she had been bulimic for a year. In order to avoid "taking the calories," she would induce vomiting after episodes of overeating. Fuelled by self-criticism and shame, it became a clandestine ritual.

She said, “I felt I had absolutely no control. My understanding of diet was so rigid.”

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The psychological toll was worse than the physical harm, which included acid reflux and internal strain. She seemed disciplined, fit, and even enviably strong from the outside. She felt weak within.

She further revealed that a close friend confronted her behaviour without any accusations.

She recalled how her friend told her, “You can eat. You can be full.”

On the work front, Fatima Sana Shaikh was last seen in Netflix’s Aap Jaisa Koi alongside R. Madhavan.