She is stronger, bolder and more fearless than ever before. In her new avatar, Paoli is ready to take on the world with her toned body and no-nonsense attitude. In an exclusive festive shoot with us, the actor spoke about her newfound love for her latest fitness routine, Diwali plans and more. Excerpts:

(Smiles) You could… But on a serious note, I can’t forget how despite my disc prolapse, I continued shooting for Kaali. It was painful and later got me bedridden for a long time. Even basic movements caused a lot of pain. At that point in time, I thought I would never be able to work out again. Weight training seemed to be a far-fetched dream. But fitness has always been a priority for me. I love being active and sticking to an exercise routine. So, being able to resume my fitness journey, which I had given up due to my back pain feels like a blessing.

Right after my back episode, the lockdown happened. It was a depressing time and diet was the least of my concerns. Then, with things getting back to normal this year, I got introduced to a fitness routine called Animal Flow this January. My coach-trainer is enthusiastic about it, so he motivated me to try it out. I eventually fell in love with it for the variety and discipline it brought into my life.

Animal flow doesn’t require any equipment or weights. Instead, it uses body weight and works on one’s agility, flexibility, strength, endurance and power. I am thrilled by how powerful it makes me feel.

Oh yes! I can fit into my old clothes now. I wouldn’t call myself thin, but I’m really fit now, and I’m loving it!

There are mixed reactions. But I turn a deaf ear to what people have to say as they will always have an opinion, no matter what you do or how you look. I am confident enough to laugh negative criticism off and not let it affect me. The fashion industry seems to love me in my new avatar, while the film industry is learning to love me as much. And yes, my husband is also complimenting me a lot lately (smiles).

When you put so much effort into your workouts, you inherently want to eat right. I’m following a diet, but that in no way means I’m cutting down on food. I’m a foodie and I love my maachh bhaat. That’s my comfort food, and I cannot compromise there. I never starve myself, but I take a lot of care to eat right and have a balanced diet. I don’t believe in depriving myself of carbs either.

Diwali is always special and the idea of a pollution-free green Diwali makes it even more special. I look forward to decorating my house with marigold flowers and diyas every year. Seeing earthen diya sellers doing good business makes me very happy. Last year, I made Lord Ganesha with rangoli. I am still deciding what to make this time. I’m also planning to cook some pulao and mutton for my family and friends as I love cooking! A friend of mine is coming here from California, so we will have a small party on Diwali at my place.

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Paoli set foot in the Hindi film industry in 2012 with Hate Story. The actor has since done several films and also forayed into the web space, with projects such as Bulbbul (2020), Raat Baaki Hai (2021) and Kaali, among others. She believes the OTT boom has come as a blessing for artistes.

“My journey was not an easy one. I started with traditional films, but because of OTT, the exposure got bigger and better. Now, people want to watch content from different regions. OTT is giving more opportunities to pan-India artistes and is also making space for stories from different regions,” she says.

The actor’s recent OTT outing, Karm Yuddh, has fetched rave reviews. In the succession drama, which also features Ashutosh Rana, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Satish Kaushik, Paoli is seen as a feisty contender for the throne of the wealthy Roy family.

“There is a blend of stealth, calmness and fierce ambition in her. She is the only woman contender who fights a very patriarchal space. She has emotional vulnerabilities, but hides behind her strong personality,” she explains.

Paoli is glad that makers are noticing the potential in her, even in the Bengali film industry. “I am glad that makers are considering me for such important characters. I feel my work in the Bengali industry is being noticed. Karm Yuddh is a huge saga and I hope I will get many such meaty characters in the future. My journey is still on,” she says.

In terms of her work in the Bengali film industry, Paoli has a list of directors she wants to work with. She also wants to explore other platforms and characters, bring in as much versatility in her career as possible. “I know for sure that I do not want to pursue one particular type of character. I want variation,” she signs off.