For four months, the actor has been following a dedicated fitness routine; promises that when his biopic rolls on June 25, he'll look every inch Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 13, 2015)

From ballet to backflips, cardio to cricket, Sushant Singh Rajput is doing everything he can to look like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. For the past four months, the actor has been training intensely to play the cricketer in Neeraj Pandey's biopic M S Dhoni - The Untold Story.

Now, he is chronicling six weeks of his training efforts in a video, titled Till I Get It Right. It will show how he transformed from his lean self to a muscular Captain Cool.

"It's not just a physical transformation but a mental transition too," says Sushant. "I am doing things that I never thought I could do. I am also reading a lot of fitness books, watching videos and pushing the envelope everyday."

He adds two more backflips to his workout even after he has completed the 15 counts. "I have started viewing myself in a completely different light from the cricket-obsessed teenager, Ishaan Bhatt of Kai Po Che!" he admits.

His fitness trainer, Praveen Nair, adds that the workout is similar to the one Sushant underwent for Kai Po Che! This includes two hours of cardio in the morning, followed by cricket practice at Dadar Gymkhana and weight training in the evening. There are also ballet lessons with Fernando Aguilera and sports drills like viper, ladder, slam ball and TRX in the garden. Sushant has a parachute tied to his back during workouts to stop him from sprinting away.

Almost all of these workout sessions will be chronicled in the video, which is divided into four parts. "The first week shows a slightly heavyweight Sushant working towards losing every inch," says Praveen. "The second week has him learning ballet. We are yet to film the third and fourth weeks. The video will end with him having flat abs."

Why not a six-pack? Praveen explains that to play Dhoni, the actor doesn't need six-packs as he isn't going to take his shirt off on screen. Dhoni has a generous butt, a bigger back, strong hamstrings and forearms. "In a week-and-a-half, he will look exactly like Dhoni," the trainer promises.

The next step for the actor is isolation training which will give him muscles like Dhoni. "In the '90s, the hero had to look great in every role he did. But today, you have to stay true to your character," points out the actor.

Praveen reveals that Sushant listens to Dhoni's interviews and watches his videos all night to study his behaviour. "He has even begun to sound like him," he smiles.