Size doesn't matter for Nehalaxami

At a time when actresses are expected to flaunt their curves, Nehalaxami Iyer comes across as a confident girl, happily breaking the stereotype. The young actress was recently offered a role in Ishqbaaz on the condition that she gains back all the weight she painstakingly lost during the break she took from work. The unusual demand stumped the actress, but she was more than happy to gain some weight back.

Says Nehalaxami, who is being paired with Leenesh Mattoo on the show, “It is a myth that if you don’t have the perfect curves you will not survive in this industry. Look at me, I have been getting shows even though I am plump. There are so many new girls out there who starve themselves to ensure they are thin enough to get roles. I really feel they are inflicting miseries upon themselves by trying very hard to get those envious curves. Honestly, it is not required. If it has to come, work will come to you anyway. I got the role in Ishqbaaz only because of my weight.”

Nehalaxami confesses that comedienne Bharti Singh inspires her. “Look at how much fame Bharti has got over the years. She is a huge name and the audience just loves her because of her weight. You see, the TV industry is no longer defined by body type.”