Meet the actress who gained 20 kgs for Fanney Khan

The film Fanney Khan, starring Anil Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, and Aishwarya Rai has become the talk of the town, especially after the release of its trailer.

Apart from a stellar cast, the film also has another actress who will be making a debut in Bollywood with Fanney Khan. Twenty-year-old Pihu Sand is playing one of the lead roles in the film, and she had to put on a whopping 20 kgs to look like her character. 

The film is about a man and his dream to see her daughter become a singer, but his daughter is rejected by the industry due to her weight.

Talking about her audition and her selection, Pihu revealed to Mumbai Mirror that she was cast by Mukesh Chhabra, who took her audition.

She said, "We had to go through a five-day workshop in the final round of audition and we were given some stage acts to perform which were recorded. During the last two days, Atul Manjrekar sir (the film's director) gave us some scenes to improvise on and I guess that's what got me the part. I auditioned for nine months and just when I was beginning to get angry, they told me I was on," she reminisces, saying she identified with Lata because she was over-weight too.

"I had to put on another 20 kg in six months for the role and the prep included planning Lata's look, makeup, and even her haircut. The fringe is an important part of the character," she added. 

Speaking about her transformation, Pihu revealed that she reached 98 kg, which is the heaviest she has ever been.

"Being fat was lovely because I am not shy about my body and everybody made me comfortable. Yes, I did have some health issues, but it was worth it because it was for something I love," she said.

Although Pihu didn't get a chance to work with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or Rajkummar, she did get to work with Anil Kapoor in Fanney Khan.

"Mr. Kapoor and Divya are like schools of acting who made me feel like family. We did some readings at his place and he was so warm I immediately felt like his daughter. He's like a bomb that's always going off. He's so passionate and so am I but while I'd get tired sometimes, he was always fresh in front of the camera."