Why It's Getting Harder For Nargis Fakhri To Return Home?

The American actor and model had a dream Bollywood debut five years ago and it opened up a whole new chapter. Awaiting the release of four films this year and in the best shape of her life, Nargis Fakhri tells Sandipan Dalal why it’s getting harder to return home.

- Sandipan Dalal, Photographs: Rohan Shrestha

She was the girl who came out of nowhere to bag a role opposite Ranbir Kapoor in a film directed by Imtiaz Ali. When Nargis Fakhri signed on the dotted line for Rockstar in 2011, she had no film connections or even the faintest idea of how the industry worked. Fast forward to 2016, and Nargis today is a brand in her own right, thanks to films like Madras Cafe (2013) and Main Tera Hero (2014), besides endorsements for beauty products like Vaseline Healthy White. Last year, she made a guest appearance opposite Salman Khan in Kick and had her first Hollywood film release, the Jude Law-starrer Spy. This year, she has four films lined up to hit the screens. She takes stock of a very eventful five years with Femina. Edited excerpts from the interview:

You are in the best shape of your life. How did you get here? I was suffering from stomach-related ailments for almost five years, which resulted in bloating and weight gain for no apparent reason. A friend recommended I see a doctor in New York. I consulted him in September and ran a few tests. He put me on three different kinds of medication over a period of three weeks. By the end of the second week, all the swelling had gone—so much so that I had abs! I started working out and eating better. I also recognised that I’m allergic to a lot of foods. So I no longer eat diary, gluten, wheat, processed food or fruits, but I eat three proper meals a day. While I was undergoing treatment,