"My Relationship With My Body is Great...It Has Become Great": Sonakshi Sinha

Brides Today: And tell us about your own, hypothetical wedding in the future... How do you see that playing out?

Sonakshi Sinha: I want it to be intimate. But I don’t know how that is going to play out because my parents know the entire world! And I know how my brother’s wedding went, it was huge! And I told my mom I want none of that. I would prefer a small ceremony with close family and friends. And I want it to be on a beach... I have always pictured myself getting married around the ocean and sand, with flowers in my hair...

BT: What a breathtaking photo shoot that would make!

SS: Yes! [laughs] That said, I do not want to wear a heavy outfit: I want to be the most chilled-out, lightly-dressed bride the world has ever seen. That is my goal because I dress up more than my share for work. I love simplicity and rather than showing’ things, I love ‘feeling’ emotions. I want that to reflect in my wedding trousseau.

BT: And will you be wearing flats and dancing?

SS: For sure! I want to be the most ‘lit’ bride... I will be rocking the dance floor!

BT: What are your views on marriage? What do you think a good marriage looks like?

SS: I believe in the institution of marriage, and I admire my parents’ bond. They have been together for so many years, and that has shaped my image of what marriage is...and I think it is beautiful. I believe it is lovely to be able to share your life with a companion and for me, right now, marriage has everything to do with friendship. You have to be
friends with the person you are getting married to. I believe there is no other way if it has to last. You have to be able to be with them through their highs and lows, be able to fight and make up, without giving up on the person. If you are a friend, you are a friend forever.

BT: Did you always hold these views or have they changed over the years?

SS: I think they have evolved. You learn as you grow older...from your relationships and the person you are growing into. Things change. And I am not claiming that my current views are the end-all. Three years down the line, perhaps, I might have a different opinion about marriage. But right now, this is where I stand, and so far, it makes sense to me.

BT: We have noticed on Instagram, that you have been doing your own make-up of late. Have you mastered the art over this past year?

SS: I have always been interested in make-up because it is an art form, right? And I am a bit of an artist myself...I paint. Each time I work with an amazing make-up artist, I pick up a few tricks from them and then experiment on my own. Nilesh Parmar—who was my make-up artist for the first seven years of my career—taught me how to apply make-up from scratch. I didn’t even know how to apply a base; I would just dab some concealer, swipe on eyeliner, and be done! Over time, I became more interested and learned how to do up my eyes (more than just an eyeliner, which is the easiest thing to do). Nilesh taught me the art of applying eyeshadow, blending, creating smokey-eye looks, and it just grew from there. I have learnt a lot from the lovely people that I have worked with.

BT: Is there a specific hack that you would like to share with us?

SS: Yes, how to create a great winged eyeliner...I think that sorts most problems! It is my go-to look, and if you have a steady hand it is the easiest thing to do. One trick is to stick some tape in the outer corners of your eyes and draw over those.

BT: Over the years, you have been asked about body constantly—about how you gained and lost weight... How has your relationship with your body changed over time, and how do you feel about it today?

SS: My relationship with my body is great... It has become great. I know how my body functions, I know what I need to do to lose weight, I know what I do wrong when I put on weight. So, I have begun to understand it much better. Earlier, I wasn’t taking as much care of my body as I should have. I was not giving it the right nutrition, or the right kind of workout. It is very similar to the relationship you share with yourself; it evolves over the years. I don’t enjoy working out, in general. I am not a gym person. Over the years, while cursing the gym workout, I discovered that I enjoy Pilates because it is a combination of yoga and strength training. You just have to find that one thing that inspires consistency in your workout. I discovered my rhythm three years ago, and I am happy. I have also shut off any unnecessary chatter, which has led to greater body positivity. Today, I believe that it is my body, my rules. I will lose weight when I want to, gain weight when I want to. During the previous lockdown, I gained seven kilos because I knew I didn’t have to be on set. I love eating, I am a foodie. So, I thought I will make the most of it. When I know I have to go on set, I work backwards. It took two months to lose the seven kilos I put on. I am very clear about what needs to be done!