‘Weighed nearly 100 kg, Muay Thai changed my life style, learned a big lesson,’ says Vismaya Mohanlal

Vismaya, daughter of superstar Mohanlal, is all set to make her Malayalam film debut with Thudakkam, scheduled to hit theatres on August 7. Ahead of the release, Vismaya recently opened up about a life-changing phase that transformed both her body and mind. She revealed that what was initially planned as a two-week vacation to Thailand eventually turned into a stay of nearly nine months.

‘Discovered Muay Thai, Thailand's national martial art, which she says reshaped her life during that time. Learning Muay Thai wasn't just about getting fit, it also strengthened my mind and taught me discipline. Known as the ‘Art of Eight Limbs,’ Muay Thai involves the use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Describing the experience as one of the best of her life, she admitted that she was far from fit at the time.

Fitness and body weight are two different things. A person can weigh 98 kilograms and still be fit, but when I weighed around 100 kilograms, I struggled even to climb stairs and often found myself out of breath.

She travelled to Thailand hoping to try something new and enrolled in Muay Thai training at FitKoh in Koh Samui. Initially, she found the training extremely demanding and disliked it. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her plans, she decided to remain in Thailand instead of returning home.

That's when I truly began to enjoy the training.

According to Vismaya, Muay Thai helped her develop complete mental focus.

When you're practising Muay Thai, every other thought disappears. For an hour, all you think about are the punches and kicks. It changes your mind as much as your body.
She also shared an important lesson she learned from her trainer.

If my coach asked me to do 10 kicks, I would often stop after nine. He would tell me, you always stop just before the last kick. Do one more. He’d then make me do 30 more kicks. That taught me to always finish what I start, and I'll always be grateful for that lesson.

Vismaya clarified that losing weight was never her primary goal.

I never travelled to Thailand to lose weight. I simply wanted to travel. I thought I'd stay for two or three weeks, but I ended up living there for eight or nine months. I fell in love with Thailand. I experienced a great sense of freedom there. I could take my bike and ride wherever I wanted. I truly loved that lifestyle,’ she said.