Adah Sharma's wellness ritual includes staring at ‘tree’ for 10 minutes daily; calls crows her fashion icon: Interview

From handstands between shots to staring at trees every morning, Adah Sharma reveals her quirky approach to wellness, diet, skincare and personal style.

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.

Excerpts from the interview:

What does your fitness routine look like, and how do you stay consistent even on busy shooting days?

I don’t believe in waiting for the perfect two-hour workout window because on shooting days that window is usually occupied by travel, costumes, 17 retakes and someone shouting, “Adah, shot ready, ready! 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. Even if it’s just a quick workout (handstands) between shots, basically, if there is a staircase, I will use it…

What is one wellness habit you swear by that makes a noticeable difference to your overall wellbeing?

I try to sleep in on position for 7 hrs without moving at night. 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.

What does your diet routine look like? Do you follow any specific diet or have any particular food habits?

I don’t follow a diet. I follow ingredients. If something grows on a tree, I trust it. 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. And I drink a lot of water. I also don't eat other animals in real life. 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)

How do you take care of your skin when you’re constantly shooting, travelling and wearing makeup?

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. 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.

Are there any homemade skincare remedies or beauty rituals you personally follow?

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. Nothing too complicated—if the recipe requires 17 ingredients, I’ve already lost interest.

How would you define your personal style?

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. 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. So I’d say my style is comfortable, quirky, slightly unpredictable… and occasionally a little concerning.

What is one fashion trend you love and one you would never follow?

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. If it looks terrible, we’ll simply call it “a bold artistic choice” and move on.

Do you have a fashion icon or someone whose personal style you particularly admire?

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.

How do you deal with criticism or trolling without allowing it to affect your mental space?

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.

What are you currently shooting, and what can audiences look forward to from you next?

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. But I want to push the boundaries in horror beyond what I did in 1920. 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!