Actor on carb-heavy diet to gain weight for Padmavati’s next schedule, reveals trainer
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 3, 2017)

Shahid Kapoor is a stickler for getting the perfect physicality for his characters in films, be it going bald for just one scene in Haider or the disheveled look for Udta Punjab.

The actor is set to do it again for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama, Padmavati. For the film’s last schedule, the actor shot for a few bare body scenes, which required him to look lean and flaunt a sculpted physique. But for the film’s next shooting stint, the actor will bulk up.

His trainer, Samir Jaura, tells us, “Since he plays the role of a king (Raja Rawal Ratan Singh), Shahid will have to put on a certain amount of weight to reflect the regal look and complement the majestic costumes. For starters, he will have to put on weight — at least 5 to 10 kilos, although the focus is on building muscles through rigorous strength training exercises. Earlier, I insisted on outdoor and functional training, but we have cut down on that now.”

Besides weight lifting and cardio sessions, the actor has to exercise individual body parts, says Jaura. “Every kind of muscle training is necessary to replicate the look we need. He has been sweating it out, and bulking up without an ounce of fat is a challenge.” Earlier, the actor had gone on a strict diet for 50 days, avoiding sugar and salt for nearly a fortnight and having little carbohydrate. His meals included steamed veggies along with 50 grams of brown rice.

But, his new diet is relatively more carb-heavy. “It was admirable how he didn’t touch bread for over a month. At that time, I had to make sure he eats his veggies — asparagus and broccoli — because he also had to sustain long hours of shoot. Now, he can have 70 grams of rice and/or three rotis. A major point of difference is that we have broken down his regular meals into six smaller ones. Since he is a vegetarian, we ensure he gets enough protein in the form of pulses, tofu and low-fat paneer. We try different combinations with black or brown rice. We alternate between black dal, rajma and chholay regularly,” adds Jaura.