Erica Fernandes recalls being asked to ‘pad up’ for a South film when she was 18: ‘They wanted some mass on me’

Erica Fernandes appeared in a number of films in the South before she started working in Hindi television shows. The actor, who was a teen when she started doing the films, recently recalled that she had to face issues from time to time because she was considered thin in the industry. Also Read| Erica Fernandes: Not agreeing for excessive bold scenes has limited options for me

Being asked to pad up in a film to being replaced in another film due to her physique were some of the struggles Erica faced during those years. She said that being asked to change the way she looked also played with her self-esteem and made her an introvert.

She told ETimes, “I was very skinny back then. I was 18-year-old when I started doing South films. I worked for a couple of years. During that time, I did have to face issues. I was thin and not fit according to them at that point of time. They wanted some mass on me. For that reason, I had to be padded up to get into the character they wanted to portray. I have faced those issues. I don’t think I would do that anymore now.”

In another film, Erica was replaced even after she gained a few kilos for her role. She said, “The day I got replaced in my film, I was like ‘Didn’t they know that I am like this?’ I had put in a lot of effort to gain weight and I did gain a few kilos. The hero was also bulking up. From what I saw him to what he became on the day I was on set, I was like ‘what just happened!’ He bulked up even more. And compared to him, my efforts went down the drain, because my changes weren’t visible.”

The actor noted that this used to be the case years ago and things have changed in the industry now, which makes her feel really good as a South Indian. Erica was last seen as Dr Sonakshi Bose on the Sony TV show Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi: Nayi Kahani, a reboot of her 2016 show of the same name.