Size zero and six-packs to Ozempic: The changing face of Bollywood’s 'fitness goals'

Bollywood has always influenced what India finds cool, be it fashion, romance, or body goals. And if there’s one thing that has changed the most over the decades, it’s the definition of fitness. From dancing in sarees to posing in gym mirrors, the way Bollywood stars stay fit has gone through a complete transformation. What once meant natural curves has now become about sculpted abs, protein shakes, and sometimes even mysterious injections. Let’s take a look at how fitness in Bollywood got a makeover,

The classic era: When curves were queen

Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, actresses like Mumtaz, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman and Rekha were loved for their natural curves and graceful looks. There was no pressure to have six-pack abs or look a certain way. If you could dance through a full song in a chiffon saree without looking tired, you were fit!

The heroes of that time, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, were manly and strong, but at least to the audience did not seem gym-obsessed and did not look like a body shaped by protein powders and weightlifting. No one asked about diets or workout routines. Actors stayed active with shooting, dancing, and action scenes. Fitness was simple, natural, and stress-free.

Kareena’s ‘Size Zero’ moment that changed everything

The big turning point came in 2008, when Kareena Kapoor Khan showed off her slim body in a bikini in the film ‘Tashan’. Suddenly, India went crazy over the idea of ‘size zero’. Thin became the new fit.

In a past interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Kareena said, “In my teens, I was just a Punjabi Kapoor, enjoying food and life without much concern. Transitioning to a size zero for a role was never planned—it was just something I did. I never imagined it would spark such a craze.”

She also recalled this in a past chat with Ranveer Allahbadia, “You have read me well, I am ambitious but never to the point that I would harm myself or my mental frame of mind… For size zero also I took the time, almost a year and a half to get into that look and it was like a challenge. 'Ek baar karna hai life mein' for an action film because I have never done an action film after that also.” Kareena’s transformation made headlines and changed beauty standards overnight. Gyms were packed, diet fads became popular, and ‘being skinny’ became everyone’s goal.

The rise of six-pack heroes and fitness obsession

As Kareena set new goals for women, Bollywood’s male actors also started changing. Having a muscular, chiseled body became the new rule. Actors like Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor and later Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan turned into gym idols. Even if a male character was just a college student or heartbroken lover, he had to be shirtless and fit.

Arjun Kapoor, before entering Bollywood with ‘Ishaqzaade’, had to lose almost 50 kilos. On The Anupam Kher Show, he revealed, “I was a 140 kgs. When Salman Bhai (Salman Khan, actor) encouraged me that I can be an actor, he told me ‘Main tumhare andar se ek insaan nikaluga’.”

He explained, “I just started living with Salman. Everyone is busy but if you love yourself, you have to take time out for yourself, you have to be patient. This is a lifestyle. I cannot workout for three months and say ‘I've lost weight now I can do anything’. That’s a decision I took that I won't give up.”

He further added, “There will be bad days like when I would be watching TV and Hrithik Roshan would be dancing with his six pack abs and I sitting here with my tond (belly) hanging out. ‘Ye toh nahi hone wala mujhse’.”

Alia Bhatt’s weight loss journey before her debut

It wasn’t just the boys. Even Alia Bhatt had to work hard to fit into Bollywood’s image of a ‘perfect debut heroine’. Before ‘Student of the Year’, she was asked to lose 20 kilos. In a 2014 interview with Daily Pioneer, she said, “It was sheer pain. I felt as if I was an ugly duckling... I decided to shed weight, meet him and take the role. Only that would redeem my self-respect.”

She explained, “I was nervous, irritated, unsure and extremely apprehensive about this meeting with Karan but my parents insisted... At the end of this two-hour meeting, he said he could give me an audition but I would have to lose 20 kg in the next six months.”

Fitness or fashion: Gym is the new ramp

These days, working out has become as much about fashion as fitness. Paparazzi wait outside gyms. Malaika Arora, Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and others are clicked almost daily in their post-workout outfits. Suddenly, what you wore to the gym mattered more than your workout itself. Instagram was full of protein shakes, mirror selfies, and ‘rise and grind’ captions.

Ozempic & Mounjaro: The secret behind sudden transformations?

In recent times, new names have entered the fitness conversation, Ozempic and Mounjaro. These are weight-loss injections originally meant for diabetes but now being talked about in celebrity circles.

When actor Ram Kapoor surprised everyone by losing 55 kilos, people couldn’t stop guessing how he did it. Even Ekta Kapoor joked about it in an Instagram post, “What do I do? I have gained a lot of weight. Should I do an anti-inflammatory diet? Mounjaro and Ozempic? All of the above? Zip my mouth? Ya chod du?... Hume bade hi achhe lagte hain.” She captioned it, Ozempic ho jaye.

Ram revealed to his fans and followers saying, “Apparently, after all this (weight loss) news has gone viral, many people think I’ve done something like Ozempic, other drugs, or surgery. Firstly, there’s nothing wrong if I did, but in less than 30 seconds, I will prove that I have done nothing.” He added, “I’m still a work in progress... This kind of transformation requires hard work, long hours, no shortcuts, no surgery, no Ozempic.”

Even Karan Johar, who also showed a big change in appearance, said on the Figuring Out With Raj Shamani podcast, “I have always been battling the bulge... Now people keep asking me 'Are you on Ozempic, Mounjaro?' and I am tired of it. They have no idea about the truth, and I don't want to share it. I know I am healthy and lighter and I have never ever felt more confident in my skin… this is the first time… after 52 years.”

Is body positivity really here?

With all this talk about fitness, body image, and transformation, has Bollywood finally become more open about different body types? Kareena, who once started the ‘size zero’ trend, now says things have changed. In her chat with Ranveer Allahbadia, she said, “Now, we are living in a generation where everything is accepted and I wouldn't like to say that such certain type of body would be accepted for an action film. I think, today everyone and anyone can do what they want to. So I am ready for an action movie now also. I don't need to be a size zero.”

It sounds good, but the truth is, most stars still face pressure to look perfect. Social media has only added more pressure with filters and glam shots. So are we seeing progress, or just a more polished version of the same pressure?