'Being into fitness, it was challenging to gain weight'

Pooja Kumar, the New York-based actor, is keen to combine her international, South and Hindi film projects. "I am just a flight away," she says.

Last seen in Vishwaroopam II, Pooja Kumar features in Priyadarshan's Anamika, which is part of Forbidden Love, an anthology of four digital films. She plays the title role of a woman caught in a loveless marriage. Indian-American actress Pooja Kumar has acted in Hollywood films as well as multilingual projects back in India.

And now the New York-based actor is keen to combine her international, South and Hindi film projects. "I am just a flight away," she says.

Talking about the character prep that Pooja did, she said she had to gain a lot of weight to play her part of a woman from a middle-class family. In an interview with ETimes Pooja spoke about her transformation for the role. She said, "The moment I was narrated the story, I was convinced of it. I knew that this was going to be challenging as well. I am into fitness all my life and now here I was having to gain some serious weight and becoming predominantly fat. It was challenging, but it was something I loved doing. I could eat anything and everything. The only thing I was worried about was my director telling me that he is disappointed with the effort. But he loved the effort and the results, so that's a huge validation for me. I guess and now the major one has to come from the audience."

Forbidden Love is a collection of romantic thrillers that also stars Ali Fazal, Patralekhaa, Aahana Kumra, Omkar Kapoor, and Raima Sen.

While Anamika, released on ZEE5 alongside another film in the anthology — Arranged Marriage — on September 9, the next two films in the anthology — Rules Of The Game and Diagnosis Of Love — will be out on the same platform on September 24.

Also Read: Pradeep Sarkar On Arranged Marriage: Ran The Story By My Children

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