We are at Scarlett House, Bandra West, on a Friday afternoon, sipping mocktails. Amrita Arora, who we all have known for years from the big screen and from being a VJ, looks happy and excited. It’s the festive season and, as she says, she has stepped out after a while. The actress, and now restaurateur, says she mostly prefers hanging with her husband on their terrace these days. She looks good — back in shape just in time for Diwali.

It’s been a challenging three-four years for Arora, who one day found herself in an unhealthy space —  mentally and physically.  “So for me, I think the journey was pretty tough. I used to eat healthy, and I used to gym, but then I think I just fell off the wagon around 2022. We were going through COVID and everybody was in a different mind state. After COVID, Shakeel [Ladak, her husband] went off to work, the kids started school, and that was my tipping point. Because, I almost became like an empty-nester. But there came a point when I was like I have to do it, I have to get healthy. My son said, ‘Mama, come on, let’s all do it’. Almost a year ago, he set up a challenge. He said, ‘In December, we’re all going to do a photo shoot. And let’s be the fittest versions of ourselves’. I said, come on.”

Well, she started and has been on the fitness bandwagon for a while now. Her diet is a tough one! “So I completely went on a steamed food diet. Then you up the protein, and cut the carbs. I had very misleading thoughts about intermittent fasting, but it works for me. My last meal is at 7.30 pm and then I don’t eat breakfast. I don’t do sugar, alcohol. It’s just mind over matter. And I eat the same food every day. I don’t need a fancy menu, you know.”

Arora laughs remembering a recent evening when she went out with her husband to her favourite restaurant, and “ordered Schezwan Chicken, which I used to love. I had two pieces, and I was back to steamed fish. I just love it now. And I also think that a bit of that fear factor is good.”

For Arora to be strict about her diet is especially tough, because her family is known to be a foodie family. Her and sister Malaika Arora often talk of their love of food coming from their mom Joyce, who is known for her legendary meals. “I actually took my own food for her Onam lunch,” she laughs.

For her fitness journey, Arora feels that its fortunate that now people are talking about women’s issues like perimenopause and menopause. She had been feeling the cravings, bloating, the brain fog, and she decided to go to a doctor.

“She told me I may be in peri, but I didn’t want to do HRT [hormone replacement therapy], I was like, I will just take the traditional route. And like I said, it came to a point where I think getting into the gym was what worked. My doctor had told me ‘drop the weight, and the symptoms will reduce’.”

But going to the gym came with its own challenges. Arora remembers a time she was even embarrassed to go out where people could see her. “It was literally my lifestyle that was holding me back. The late night binging, the eating, the sedentary life —  and then the more you get into that rut, it gets worse. I’m not ashamed to say it. I got into self-loathing. And then I’d see a picture of mine if I stepped out. And I’d be like, hmm, what’s happened? And then you go down that rabbit hole, and dig a deeper one.”

But she started with baby steps. She found a smaller gym where she knew everyone. “And my trainer told me, ‘the only way you’re going to do it is by being consistent. If there are days where you think you don’t want to do it, just come and sit around, look out the window, have a coffee, and talk to people’. I did that, and I would eventually end up working out.”

But it was never just about the physical healing that Arora wanted to put herself through. She also worked on her mental health. “So I’m someone who suffers anxiety, you know, and I got on medicines for anxiety. I wanted to help myself. And now, I am almost off them. I will be medicine-free soon. I used to be a pill-popper, but now, I don’t take anything.”

She also reduced going out —  “My husband and I enjoy each other’s company. We love hanging together. And it helped that he met me halfway, and joined me in my journey. At 10.30 pm, it’s lights out. And my friends helped me. They used to say, ‘You don’t need to drink and get your own food, but just come’.”

Once the mirror started showing results, Arora says she got even more motivated. To keep up her wellness journey, she sets intentions every day, and journals and meditates. “I was a very jumpy morning person, kids out of the door and all that. Now, I take my time. I manifest. I meditate. I stretch. I jump. I put on some music.”

This mental health work is also what’s helped her deal with trolls online. “I am an emotional person and of course, it bothered me. They’d say like things like, ‘Oh, this is the face of Ozempic, baby’. But, it’s been a struggle for me. And I’m very open about it. It’s been going on for years. And there were options all this time. But, I took on that challenge. Be healthy. Get your a** in the gym. Watch your food. Walk a lot. Practise good mental health stuff if you suffer from it. And things get way better.”

If she had to talk to women who are above 40 now who are struggling, what would she say? “I think start small. Baby steps. No pressure. Even if it’s at home. Whatever makes you happy. Do home workouts and walk in your building.”

Well, she has done all that, and she finds herself at a good place right now — almost ready for that family portrait. But first, there is Diwali. Like her mom, Arora loves to do a small puja at home. But home get-togethers is where her heart is. “I love hosting like my mother! Tablescapes are my thing.” Her Diwali wish for everyone is that don’t burst crackers, love your animals, and protect them from the noise. “And be healthy!”

As we step out, the paparazzi say “Amrita” to get her attention, and she poses. It’s her time now.

Malavika Mohanan’s gorgeous house in Mumbai is buzzing with activity for Onam. Spread over a period of 10 days, the actress takes us through the festivities at her home, fond memories and more.

Showing us the flower rangoli in her house, she says, “As a child, one of my favourite things about Onam was pookalam. On Diwali, you make rangoli with powder, on Onam we make pookalam, which is rangoli made with flowers. I remember my mom going to the market early in the morning to pick fresh flowers. My school friends would come over and we would together make the flower rangoli; it felt like an exciting craft project. As we got older, we started choosing designs, which flowers to buy, while mom got busy preparing Onam Sadhya (traditional feast for Onam).”

Having her roots in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, Malavika has had the best of both worlds. She elaborates, “Onam is essentially a harvest festival. It is one of the most celebrated festivals in Kerala. Extended 10-day festivities take place there with folk dance and performances. Temples are lit up and everything smells of flowers. I grew up in Mumbai, so I didn’t quite participate in all of this. Here, Onam is about reconnecting with your roots, Kerala silks and family lunch.”

Talking about it, Malavika explains, “Quintessential Onam Sadhya is served on a banana leaf and is purely vegetarian. It’s a very intricate process because you are cooking so many items. There are at least 10 items on the leaf. My mother is an amazing cook and makes everything from scratch. Her prep work starts two to three days in advance. If I were to name my favourite dish, it’s avial curry and pappadam.”

The actress loves her saris and gold temple jewellery. She says, “I am a big lover and supporter of Indian textiles. We have such amazing variety. Every state has a distinctive style with Kerala having Kasavu. This is one day in the year where I go all Malayali. I love dressing up.”