Nimisha Sajayan gained 14 kgs for 'Babita Singh Reporting', shares weight loss journey
Synopsis
Nimisha Sajayan gained 14 kg — going from 58 kg to 72 kg — to play a suspended police officer in 'Babita Singh Reporting', then faced an emotionally brutal weight-loss phase she nearly quit. Her candid Instagram tribute to trainer Ali Shifas pulls back the curtain on what method body transformations actually cost actors beyond the screen.
Key Takeaways
Nimisha Sajayan gained 14 kg (from 58 kg to 72 kg ) for her lead role in 'Babita Singh Reporting' .
The actress described the first 10 days of her post-film weight-loss journey as the toughest, marked by sleeplessness, mood swings, and exhaustion.
She credited trainer Ali Shifas with keeping her from quitting, calling him her 'rock' and 'biggest cheerleader'.
The film, directed by Ambiecka Pandit , follows suspended police officer Babita Singh investigating the murder of her childhood friend.
Nimisha shared that the experience was ultimately about patience and trusting the process, beyond just physical transformation.
Malayalam actress Nimisha Sajayan, the lead of director Ambiecka Pandit's upcoming film 'Babita Singh Reporting', has opened up about the physical and emotional toll of gaining 14 kilograms for the role — and the gruelling journey of shedding that weight afterwards. In a heartfelt note shared on her Instagram page, Nimisha credited her trainer Ali Shifas as the person who kept her going when she was ready to quit.
The Weight Gain for the Role
Nimisha revealed that she went from 58 kg to 72 kg to authentically embody her character in the film. The actress described the deliberate weight gain as a commitment to the role, one that came with its own set of physical and psychological challenges once filming wrapped and the weight-loss phase began.
A Gruelling First 10 Days
The early days of the weight-loss journey were, by Nimisha's own account, the hardest. 'No proper sleep, crazy mood swings, exhaustion, frustration… and so many moments where I genuinely felt like I couldn't do it. There were days I would literally sit in front of my trainer and cry saying "I can't do this anymore,"' she wrote. The candid admission offers a rare look at the physical demands placed on actors who undergo significant body transformations for film roles.
Tribute to Trainer Ali Shifas
The bulk of Nimisha's post was a tribute to her trainer Ali Shifas, whom she described as her 'rock' through the process. 'If it wasn't for you, I honestly think I would have given up. You pushed me when I needed that extra push, encouraged me when I wanted to give up and patiently reminded me to trust the process,' she wrote. She added that Shifas never made her feel judged on difficult days and consistently found ways to make her show up again. 'To my best trainer, my biggest cheerleader, my constant support system — THANK YOU Shifukka for believing in me even on the days I stopped believing in myself,' she said.
About 'Babita Singh Reporting'
'Babita Singh Reporting' is set in a small Indian town and follows a suspended police officer named Babita Singh, fondly called Baby, who investigates the murder of her childhood friend. The case, according to the film's premise, takes her on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. The film is directed by Ambiecka Pandit.
The Broader Takeaway
Nimisha reflected that the journey was ultimately about more than physical transformation. 'Looking back, I realised the journey wasn't just about losing the weight — it was about patience, trusting the process and most importantly having the right person beside you,' she wrote. Her account adds to a growing conversation in Indian cinema about the physical and mental demands of method-driven body transformations, and the support systems that make them sustainable.
Point of View
The near-daily desire to quit, the mood swings. Indian cinema has long glamourised body transformations as feats of discipline, rarely acknowledging the psychological cost. That a prominent Malayalam actress is speaking this plainly about struggle — and attributing survival to a support system rather than personal willpower — signals a more honest conversation beginning to emerge in the industry. Whether that honesty translates into better on-set welfare structures is the question mainstream coverage tends to skip.
NationPress
29 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight did Nimisha Sajayan gain for 'Babita Singh Reporting'?
Nimisha Sajayan gained approximately 14 kilograms for the role, going from 58 kg to 72 kg. She shared this detail in a post on her Instagram page alongside her account of the subsequent weight-loss journey.
Who is Ali Shifas and what role did he play?
Ali Shifas is Nimisha Sajayan's fitness trainer, whom she credited with keeping her motivated through a difficult post-film weight-loss phase. She described him as her 'rock' and 'biggest cheerleader' in her Instagram tribute.
What is 'Babita Singh Reporting' about?
'Babita Singh Reporting' is a film directed by Ambiecka Pandit, set in a small Indian town. It follows suspended police officer Babita Singh, who investigates the murder of her childhood friend and undergoes an unexpected journey of self-discovery in the process.
Why was Nimisha Sajayan's weight-loss journey difficult?
Nimisha described the first 10 days as particularly hard, with no proper sleep, mood swings, exhaustion, and frustration. She said there were days she sat in front of her trainer and cried, feeling she could not continue.
What did Nimisha Sajayan say she learnt from the experience?
Nimisha said the journey taught her that transformation is about more than physical change — it is about patience, trusting the process, and having the right support system. She said she could not have completed it without her trainer Ali Shifas.
