Being picked on as an overweight kid still haunts Aryan Arora

Actor Aryan Arora, who has come a long way in his career in television, was once a “self-conscious introvert” who found it difficult to even talk to people, let alone face the camera. The Chashni actor recalls being bullied and teased as a child for being overweight, and that he didn’t even in his wildest dreams dream of becoming an actor.

He shares, “I was around 98 kgs at the age of 15, and nobody in my family really noticed it, I don’t know why. It was the worst phase of my life because of the daily trolling that I had to go through. I was bullied in school and called Motu, Hathi and what not. The harassment escalated to such an extent that kids at school would get physically agitated while teasing me because I had male breasts. This bothered me a lot.

But after the summer break of Class 10, he decided to start working on himself by becoming more active and managing his diet. “It was during my summer vacation after class 10 exams when this trolling affected me so much that I decided to get tough on myself. I used to work out for hours and simultaneously used to play badminton. I watched my diet and switched to eating healthier. During that time I did not meet anyone. And when I returned to school, everyone was shocked to see my transformation as I had lost 15 kilos in that period.”

Physical fitness has made him more confident but the memories of being picked on as a child still haunt the 24-year-old.

“If there is a bullet on the body, I regain consciousness. I have to tell about it in advance so that I can work on my body and prepare for it. For others it may have been a joke, but for me it was no joke at all. It affected me and I suffered because of it,” says the actor, adding that facing rejection during auditions triggered his fear.

“It would create doubts about myself in my mind. I would start questioning myself am I good looking enough to be an actor? Am I talented enough? All those thoughts will come back. Even today, I struggle with those thoughts at times and hence I am extra conscious when it comes to my physical fitness. If I cross the mark that I have set for myself (in terms of weight), I get nervous and start working more on myself to get back in shape.”