Actress and model Richa Sharma will soon be seen in a slew of projects. The Telegraph caught up with her to know how she has been and what kept her busy all this time.

You have been missing in action for some time now.

I have been pretty unwell since May. I had been in a lot of pain for around a month. On June 21, I went to Mumbai for a surgery. I received a lot of support from my family and friends. Even my producers and directors gave me a lot of support. They were very patient, one of the shoots was to start from June 29 but they said they would wait for me to recover… it was very touching.

So when do we see you getting back to work?

I had been a fitness freak but now the doctor has advised me to rest… to take it easy. At first, I was a bit nervous because I had some projects and taking rest would have postponed these projects. But then I realised that health comes first.

Tell us how celebrity nutritionist Nmami Agarwal helped you...

She spoke to me at length and explained several facets of health, like for example that inner strength is more important than just workouts. She asked me about my concerns and I said, ‘I would like to keep a check on my weight’. She told me, ‘If you are concerned about health, why should you worry only about health? What about inner health? You need to have proper nutrition. That will create wonders. Only dieting won’t help.’

What difference do you see now after following Nmami’s instructions?

The way she helped me out, with nutrition and diet charts, I can say I feel much more energetic now. I am leaner and I am liking myself now. Earlier, I used to have food and then go without eating for some hours. I thought it was good for me but I actually ended up causing more harm to myself.

Tell us about your diet now...

I have tea without milk first thing in the morning. I have almonds, walnuts and raisins. I have breakfast around 8.30am or 9am with sauteed vegetables and multigrain bread. Around 12, I have fruit or coconut water or lime juice. At 2pm, I have lunch with chapattis made of oats and wheat flour with vegetables and curd. I am eating in small intervals but I am eating something throughout the day. At 4pm, I have tea and maybe an hour later, I have a fruit. I have my dinner by 7.30pm or 8pm. I can also carry food to my shoots since it’s really all simple food that I eat now.

So you must be keeping away from any kind of exercise?

I have started slow walking now since it’s been just two weeks since the surgery.

Will your birthday (July 13) be a cheat day?

I had asked Nmami if I could have Thai food on my birthday and she said it would be fine. I love Thai. She said I could also have tandoori roti and vegetables for dinner. She keeps a daily check on my food habits. So I am more or less allowed to eat anything at parties and events.

What are your birthday plans?

I will have close friends coming over to my place. I had planned to throw a party a week later but all of them insisted on meeting up today. These friends had been a great support during the time I had the surgery. My daughter is here with me so she will look after all the arrangements too.

Richa on the sets of Abbar Kanchanjangha Sourced by the correspondent

What’s happening on the work front?

I have four-five projects in hand and I was scared that owing to the surgery I would have to give them up. But all of them were very encouraging. Anand Kulthia, director, Kulthiaa Jewel, had a shoot planned in June and he was so nice to wait for me till I recovered. I had told him to shoot with someone else but he wanted me on the project. Producer Rajesh Shrivastav, with whom I am shooting for a series, too was very accommodative. He said he will wait for me to recover. He had to start the shoot from July 1. Manoj Tiwari, who has made films like Hello Darling and P Se Pyaar F Se Faraar, is in talks with Vivek Oberoi to star alongside me in an OTT series. The shooting will probably start in July-end. I am also shooting a film with film-maker Raajhorshee De. I am fortunate to be a part of his films. He is also a great support.

Tell us about your new music video...

It was shot in Dubai. It will be released soon. Zee has produced it, and it has been directed by Aman Prajapat, who has made many music videos. My co-star is Raj Saha, a model from Calcutta. The track has been sung by Yaseer Desai.

What else have you been working on?

Before I went to Mumbai, I worked on a project with the North American Bengali Conference (NABC). It was a dance theatrical called Kinnari Gatha. Singer Riddhi Bandyopadhyay had organised it. It was a virtual event. Abhiroop Sengupta was the choreographer. I danced to three songs (Rabindrasangeet) despite my health condition at that time. My upcoming films include Abbar Kanchanjangha and A Separate Sky. I also have modelling projects with Mahabir Jewellers and Kulthiaa Jewel.

Any lessons learnt during the lockdown period?

I would just say it has been a very difficult period for a lot of people... if you can’t do good for others, at least don’t harm them emotionally. Don’t spread negativity and always be nice to people.