6 Indian actors who underwent an unbelievable physical transformation for their movie
5 Indian actors who underwent an unbelievable physical transformation for their films
1. Ranveer Singh
Movies: Padmaavat, Gully Boys, Simmba and 83'
Remember the next-door Punjabi boy Bittoo Sharma in Band Baaja Barat? Since then, Ranveer Singh has transformed into a method actor with gravitas. We saw him buffed up in Padmaavat, as Alauddin Khilji. Thereafter, the actor went on to shed a lot of weight for Gully Boy. A change of image was again required for his upcoming movie 83' where he steps into the shoes of famous cricketer Kapil Dev. The transformation from a muscular Simmba to a fit sports person required intense hard work.
“The challenging part was the fact that I was approaching Kapil Dev (83, the film) on the back of Simmba. I was 86 kg as Sangram ‘Simmba’ Bhalerao, packing heavy muscle mass and had to lose about 12 to 14 kg. To shed the muscle you have so painstakingly built is a slow and difficult process, but Rajiv sir (Rajiv Mehra at Jivfit) and the boys at PodSupply (celebrity tiffin service provider) have worked closely to help me. I’m happy with the results. I’ve achieved my target, surpassed it, as a matter of fact,” said Ranveer Singh to Indian Express.
2. Rajkummar Rao
Movies: Trapped, Bose: Dead/Alive and Badhaai Do
When the national award winner, Rajkummar Rao starred in Vikram Motwane's Trapped he went through a major body transformation. His character Shaurya, who was stuck in a high-rise building, and required him to look starved. “I want to push the envelope and nothing else. If my character demands me to lose or gain weight, I just do it. That’s what I expect from myself and what people expect from me, and I’ve been doing that," Rao told Hindustan Times. For 22 days, he only survived on two carrots and black coffee. Then came web-series Bose: Dead/Alive for which he shaved off half his head and gained 11 kilos within a month. Lately, the actor is going through intense training for his upcoming movie Badhaai Do where he will be seen playing a cop.
3. Abhishek Bachchan
Movies: Guru, Raavana and The Big Bull
Abhishek Bachchan was loved for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Guru for which he had to gain weight. However, when Ratnam roped him for Raavan the actor was required to lose 18 kilos. “The weight I had gained for Guru and Sarkar Raj stayed on me in Drona and Dostana. But then, Mani sir wanted me to look lean for Ravana. So, here I am, looking as he wanted," Bachchan told Hindustan Times. Talking about his training he added, “It’s a cardio-intensive programme, with a lot of triomatic activities and some weights, too." With his latest movie The Big Bull all set to release on Disney+Hotstar, the actor had to gain weight to resemble Indian stockbroker Harshad Mehta.
4. Shahid Kapoor
Movie- Kabir Singh
Shahid Kapoor Bollywood's chocolate boy for a long time. However, with time he changed how he was perceived as an actor with movies like Haider and Udta Punjab. With Kabir Singh, the actor reached new heights. While the movie was loved by millions, one certainly can't miss how the actor transformed from a college boy to an alcoholic doctor. The actor had to put on eight kilos and then lose 14 kilos for the movie. “It’s always character before your personal life. The team decided to first shoot the portions that saw me out of shape. The character goes through an emotional phase; he is self-destructive and doesn’t care about how he looks. Actors are used to [looking] their best, at all times. But, here, I had to look as disinterested as I could about the way I appeared. Hence, we took the decision to grow the hair and beard. They took about two-and-a-half months to grow out, and during this phase I worked with my trainer Samir Jaura on drafting a plan and achieving the [hefty] look. If you sit down and make a plan, there’s a smart way of (gaining weight),” Shahid Kapoor told Mid-Day. The actor will soon be seen in Jersey, a sports drama.
5. Prabhas
Movies- Bahubali, Sahoo and Adipurush
Prabhas became a household name in India after playing Amrendra Baahubali. The magnum opus Baahubali presented the South Indian super-star in a never-seen avatar. While filmmaker SS Rajamouli wanted Prabhas in a beefy avatar, his role in Sahoo required him to be lean and muscular. The actor had to lose 10 kilos to slip into the character. To achieve the desired look, he went through hour-long cardio sessions that would include swimming, cycling or playing volleyball. For his latest film Adipurush, Prabhas is sweating it out in the gym to achieve a ripped body as he will be seen bare chest in the film.
6. Farhan Akhtar
Movie: Bhag Milkha Bhag and Tofaan
In 2013, when Farhan Akhtar played legendary sprinter, Milkha Singh, in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, he had to undergo an intense 13-month long program to achieve the right body and look. The actor had to exercise every day for five to six hours which included jogging, cycling, stretching, altitude training and a combination of functional training. Akhtar also did 2,500 to 3,000 crunches daily, 300 squats, and 100 calf raises, pull-ups, push-ups, preacher curls, cable workouts, and high knees - 10 to 15 sets of repetition. Getting a chiseled physique required hard work then, and now as well for his upcoming movie Toofan. Akhtar had to go through a major body transformation and get trained in professional boxing for his role in Toofan. First, he had to lose weight to build a ripped body and then had to gain 15 kilos in 6 weeks for a part. “For me, fitness is a way of life and not just a routine. Irrespective of my craft, I choose to live a healthy and disciplined lifestyle. I’ve always refrained from indulging in things that could have adverse effects on my body. It was a challenge for me to adapt to a way of living that was completely contrary—with a monitored exercise regime, less physical activity and high consumption of fats, carbs, starch. It was tough. Although I balanced consumption of fried food, the starch and fats made up for it and here you go, that’s how I gained an extra 15 kilos," Farhan Akhtar told New Indian Express.
