Actor Adah Sharma, known for her performances in films such as The Kerala Story, 1920, and Commando, has never shied away from the unconventional. From her approach to fitness and wellness to her quirky fashion choices, the actor prefers keeping things simple, practical and distinctly her own.
In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Adah gets candid about her fitness and wellness routine, sharing insights into her diet, skincare, personal style and the habits that help her stay grounded. (Also read: Ranasaheb Digvijaysinh Kathiwada on carrying forward his family’s 600-year-old royal legacy and building Kathiwada 2034 ) Excerpts from the interview:
And keeping me waiting for the shot for an hour. So I keep it simple — workouts whenever I can, lots of movement, stretching, dancing, and generally refusing to become furniture. Consistency for me is less about doing the same workout every day and more about doing something every day. No phone. No music. No thoughts. Just me and the tree silently negotiating who has the more stable life. As in, I like waking up in the same position I went to sleep. It keeps me peaceful through the day and my body in mint condition. I don’t follow a diet. I follow ingredients. If something grows on a tree, I trust it. And I drink a lot of water. I also don’t eat other animals in real life. In The Kerala Story, my skin had to look extremely dehydrated and parched. For Bastar, I had sunburnt, deeply tanned skin with freckles. And in Sunflower, I had to go through layers of cakey makeup to play a bar dancer. So, between films, my skincare routine is basically an apology letter to my face. Honestly, my skin and I have a very toxic long-distance relationship. But we also love each other, so we try showing up for each other. I’m a big believer in homemade remedies . My kitchen has slowly become a dermatology department with better snacks. I use simple things like aloe vera, coconut oil and sometimes homemade face packs. On screen, everything from a bikini to a burkha (I’ve done it all, I think) My personal style is basically a disagreement between my clothes and everyone’s expectations. Some days I’ll dress up properly, and some days I’ll wear something that makes people wonder if I’m going to an award function or to rescue a pigeon. I like experimenting for photoshoots. So I’d say my style is comfortable, quirky, slightly unpredictable… and occasionally a little concerning. One trend I love is anything oversized. Clothes should have enough fabric to hide snacks, emotional baggage, and, if necessary, a small family of squirrels. There’s nothing I would say never to. That’s so rude! Fashion is supposed to be about experimenting, not holding grudges. I’ll try almost anything at least once. My fashion icon would be a crow. All black, slightly suspicious, never overdressed, never underdressed. Just walks around looking like it knows something about you that you don’t know about yourself. Very mysterious. Very sustainable. Excellent accessorising with thrifted objects. I deal with criticism by remembering that people have free will… and free Wi-Fi. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I just don’t let strangers rent space in my head. The rent is already too expensive and it’s very crowded with all my personalities living there. I’ve been listening to what the audience has been asking for, and very specifically, they’ve been telling me they want to see me do horror and comedy. After The Kerala Story and Bastar, which were both quite intense and serious. Hopefully, with this film I can. So there’s some horror coming up and comedy too. After all the serious roles, I think we’ve all earned a few screams and a few laughs. There’s action as well!
Even if it’s just a quick workout (handstands) between shots, basically, if there is a staircase, I will use it… I swear by one wellness habit: I spend 10 minutes every morning staring at a tree. I try to sleep in on position for 7 hrs without moving at night. If it comes in a packet with 47 ingredients, I try avoiding it I eat pretty clean most of the time—fruits, vegetables, protein , home-cooked food. On screen I do, but then they create a vegetarian version of the animal for me to eat (1920 i ate the cat) Bastar I ate chapda (ant chutney) I somehow have a knack for picking roles that require incredibly elaborate prosthetic and makeup transformations. In 1920, I had to wear possessed makeup that completely transformed my face. Nothing too complicated—if the recipe requires 17 ingredients, I’ve already lost interest. But I want to push the boundaries in horror beyond what I did in 1920.
Because on shooting days that window is usually occupied by travel, costumes, 17 retakes and someone shouting, “Adah, shot ready, ready, i don’t believe in waiting for the perfect two-hour workout window.
I don’t really believe clothes have to be “flattering”—sometimes they just have to be interesting enough or that’s an excuse I use to justify wearing old torn clothes. If it looks terrible, we’ll simply call it “a bold artistic choice” and move on.
