Excerpts from the interview:
I saw a post on your Instagram in which you mentioned meeting Shahrukh Khan and he made a comment about your weight. Can you tell us more about that encounter and what he said?
Oh hell yeah! It’s a hilarious and memorable story. This was in 2016, before I was famous. I had just started my career and at that time very few people knew me. It was an exhibition party, and Shahrukh Khan There was. Now, this was the first time I was seeing King Khan in person.
I was very nervous. Even now, when I think about it, I get those butterflies. I just wanted a picture with her, but the lighting at the party was terrible. Anyway, I approached him, and the first thing this guy does is – Are you ready for this? – He held my stomach. Can you imagine? Shahrukh Khan, the King Khan himself, is holding my stomach!
He looked at me and said, “Ashish, man, you need to lose weight. I don’t like it when people don’t take care of their health. Lose your fat or weight and trust me you will look so cute.” ” He said this while looking directly into my eyes. Believe me, the confidence he gave me in that moment, the belief that I could look good, was unforgettable. That moment stayed with me. It took a while — eight years to be exact — but I promised myself that when I finally got in shape, I would share this story. And I did.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during your weight loss journey?
Oh, the longing. Night longing was my biggest nightmare. I used to turn into this “Midnight Hulk,” like this crazy, hungry version of myself. Have you seen that seaweed meme from Family Guy? That was me—totally losing control! I’ve always been a chips person. Chips are my first love. I can give up sweets, pizza, burgers—no problem—but chips? Lay’s, Blue Lay’s, Uncle Chips? Oh my God, I would literally sell my soul for them. Now even talking about it makes the mouth water.
To deal with these cravings, I came up with a strange solution. I will drink buttermilk with lots of spices. Just to get that spicy flavor, you know? One night, I was so desperate that I even ate chacha masala straight from the packet! How bad were the desires.
As far as workouts go, I can handle most of them—leg workouts, deadlifts, even some cardio. But core workouts? Abs? placards? Complete torture. Yes, they are physically exhausting, but mentally they break you down. You feel like crying sometimes. But I knew I had to move beyond that comfort zone. Because once you become successful, you realize that you are capable of much more than you thought.
Mental strength is often an important factor in weight loss. What was your mindset during this entire journey? How do you stay motivated?
To be honest, I was very disappointed in myself. I had lost respect for the person I saw in the mirror. I kept thinking, “You’re lazy. You can’t do that.” The feeling of being defeated by myself hurt me a lot. It became a personal fight. I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of doing more than just creating content.
I had this vision of my dream body. And this is going to sound a little weird, but I’ll admit it and I’m saying this for the first time in an interview that I was obsessed with Captain America’s physique. Chris Evans, shirtless, with that superhero body? This was my goal. I’ve even set her picture as my phone wallpaper. Every morning, I would wake up, look at that picture and say to myself, “Ashutosh, you will look like this one day. Now get up and work for it.”
I also made motivational notes on my phone. Like, little captions that will inspire me every day. Want to hear one? “Look at it every day and tell yourself that you have to take your diet seriously. All those hunger pangs and cravings? They deserve it. Let’s kill it with our diet, Ashutosh. “We have to look sexier.” The days I messed up were even harder: “You’ve completely lost your focus. It’s never too late. Before you lose everything you’ve worked for, Come back.”
I had more than 20 such wallpapers. Some of them were really silly, so I can’t show you them all. But these reminders helped me stay focused. They were like little pep talks about my future.
Have you faced any incidents of body shaming and how did you handle it?
I have been harassed about my weight since childhood. Being called “fat” became my label—it eclipsed everything else about me. Nobody cared about personality or character; It was always, “He’s coming in thick.” I knew that there was much more to be gained by stepping into this field and I accepted it.
Surprisingly, my followers and customers have always been kind. He never embarrassed me. It was always the trolls, people who didn’t know me, who would make jokes about my weight when they couldn’t find anything else to criticize. But I never let it dominate me. Losing weight wasn’t about proving anything to them – it was to me. I wanted to feel good, look good and be healthy. And that’s okay. Everyone wants to feel confident in their own skin.
I would say this to anyone struggling with their weight: Once you focus on your health and fitness, everything changes. You feel stronger, faster and more focused.
How do you plan to maintain your health journey in the long term?
I follow a strict routine – 15 days of clean eating, then a cheat day where I enjoy my favorite pani puri or chole bhature. But the funny thing is that I am slowly losing interest in calorie-heavy foods. My cheat days are now increasing to 20 days as the cravings are decreasing.
I also keep things interesting with workouts. Each week, I challenge myself to improve – whether it’s running an extra run or lifting heavier weights. The goal is to keep progressing. If you don’t push yourself, it gets boring.
What changes have you noticed in your health before and after losing weight?
The first change I noticed was that my skin actually got better, which I did not expect. There was a time when I’d go out with friends to relax, and after walking for five minutes, I’d say, “I can’t do this anymore. Can we sit down?” I used to get tired just by walking here and there for a few minutes. It totally freaked me out.
But now, everything has changed. I can go trekking, run, dance and many more. Recently, we shot for a series I directed, and I was on my feet for a 20-hour schedule. I had scenes where I was dancing with my co-actors, and I did everything without breaking a sweat. Earlier, even eight hours of sleep made me feel tired, but now, even five to six hours of sleep feels sufficient.
I also feel more focused and confident. The quality of sleep is better and I no longer feel lazy or drowsy. Honestly, it feels like I have a whole new level of energy.
For your fans and followers who are on their fitness journey, do you have any advice or tips on how they can stay focused and motivated?
One piece of advice I would give everyone is: Stop giving yourself deadlines. Set a goal and ask yourself why you want to do it. If you’re doing it for someone else, don’t do it. just stop. The only way you will succeed is to do it for yourself.
Fell in love with the process. Do exercises that you enjoy. If you like chest pressing, go for it. If lat pulldowns excite you, stick with them. Once you start seeing results, you will automatically want to move on. Also, take the time to understand your body—know what the calories are and keep track of what goes into your diet. Trust me, when you make the effort, you will see visible changes, and it will keep you motivated.
Finally, we’d love to know what you’re currently working on. Do you have any exciting projects?
I’ve created a series for my own YouTube channel. It’s a horror-comedy series, and honestly it’s one of the reasons I wanted to lose weight. It involves a lot of action and activities that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
The series is my passion project. I have written the story, screenplay and dialogues and I have also acted in it. This is a genre that only a few filmmakers have tried in India, so it is difficult but exciting. I’ve been working on this for over a year and now it’s finally happening. I can’t wait to share it with my audience!
