Mohanlal‘s daughter Vismaya Mohanlal is all set for marking her acting debut in the upcoming film ‘Thudakkam’.Vismaya recently opened up about a transformative phase in her life that began with what was supposed to be a short holiday in Thailand. The actress revealed that her planned two-week vacation unexpectedly turned into an eight-to-nine-month stay.During that period, she discovered Muay Thai, a martial art that helped reshape not only her physical fitness but also her mental strength and discipline.Known as Thailand’s national sport, Muay Thai is often called the “Art of Eight Limbs” because it uses fists, elbows, knees and shins for striking, along with clinching and sweeps.Speaking to Galatta Plus, Vismaya shared how the combat sport became one of the most meaningful experiences of her life.
Vismaya Mohanlal says she weighed nearly 100 kg and got breathless climbing stairs
Looking back at her fitness journey, Vismaya admitted that there was a time when she was far from being physically fit. She said she weighed nearly 100 kg and found even simple physical activities exhausting.“It was one of the best experiences of my life. At that time, I was not fit at all. I believe fitness and body weight are two different things. A person can weigh 98 kg and still be fit. But when I weighed nearly 100 kg, I struggled even to climb stairs. I would get breathless, and my friends would ask me, ‘Why are you panting so much?'”The actress clarified that she never travelled to Thailand with weight loss in mind. Instead, she simply wanted to explore a new country and experience something different.
A spontaneous decision led her to Muay Thai
While staying in Koh Samui, Vismaya decided to try Muay Thai training at FitKoh. She admitted that her first impression of the martial art was not positive because the workouts felt extremely challenging.“That’s when I went to Thailand. I thought I’d try something new there, so I started Muay Thai training at FitKoh in Koh Samui. Initially, I didn’t like it at all. I felt it was extremely difficult.”However, her plans changed when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Instead of returning home, she stayed in Thailand, which gave her more time to continue training.“Then COVID happened, and I stayed there instead of returning home. That’s when I truly started enjoying the training.”
How martial arts changed her mindset
According to Vismaya, Muay Thai offered much more than physical fitness.“Whether it’s art or martial arts, there’s something special about them. When you’re doing it, every other thought disappears. You can focus only on the task in front of you. For one hour, all you think about are punches, kicks and training. It transforms your mind as well.”She also recalled an important lesson from her trainer that stayed with her long after the sessions ended.“If my trainer asked me to do 10 kicks, I would stop after nine. He would tell me, ‘You always stop just before the last one. Just do one more kick.’ Then he would make me do another 30 kicks. That experience taught me to finish whatever I start. I’ll always be grateful for that. Now I absolutely love Muay Thai.”
Weight loss was never Vismaya Mohanlal’s goal
Vismaya emphasised that losing weight was never the purpose of her Thailand trip. She said she initially expected to stay for only a few weeks but ended up spending nearly nine months in the country because she enjoyed the lifestyle.“My goal was never to lose weight. I just wanted to travel. I initially thought I’d spend two or three weeks there, but I ended up staying for eight or nine months. I fell in love with Thailand. I experienced a great sense of freedom there. I could just take my bike and go anywhere. I really loved that lifestyle.”Her experience eventually became one of the most defining chapters of her life. Coming to her work front, Vismaya Mohanlal’s debut film is directed by the ‘2018’ fame Jude Anthany Joseph and Mohanlal also plays a cameo role in it. The film hits the big screens on August 7.
