Mumbai, September 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran actress, dancer and former model Kalpana Iyer has recalled a time early in her career when she lost film opportunities because she was considered “too skinny” and was told she did not have enough weight for the industry.
Kalpana recently shared a series of throwback photographs from her younger days on social media, saying the images brought back memories of her early struggles.
She recalled how her mother would feed her various foods in an effort to help her gain weight because she was considered too thin for the film industry.
“It’s a situation that seems so funny today but at that point it was Very Sad and Very Funny. I lost work in the movies because I didn’t have enough Weight on Me and thin was not acceptable,” she wrote.
Kalpana said her career eventually took a different path, with beauty contests, modelling and her participation in the Miss India pageant opening new opportunities for her from 1975 onwards.
Looking back, she described her journey as one that took her through modelling, beauty contests, fashion shows, dancing and acting, leading to a long career that continued until 1999.
Kalpana moved to Dubai in 1999 after Hum Saath-Saath Hain and subsequently stayed away from mainstream Bollywood for a considerable period. She said she remained slim for a long time but later gained weight due to work, inactivity and age.
The actress clarified that her weight gain was not related to any health condition and said she remains active. She also acknowledged the difficulty of losing weight despite making efforts, adding that she would not resort to shortcuts.
“For Now I choose to be Happy with My Healthy Plump Self,” she wrote.
In another photograph, Kalpana said she could now laugh about her earlier experiences and remembered what it felt like to be slim and fit. She also stressed that while she continues to work towards staying fit, being slim is not her goal.
Kalpana became known for her work as a dancer and actress in Hindi cinema, particularly during the 1980s. Her film credits include Manokaamnaa, Pyaara Dushman, Armaan, Wardat, Lootmaar and Hum Saath-Saath Hain.
She was also associated with popular songs such as “Hari Om Hari” and “Rambha Ho”.
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