Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 13, 2018)

Anil Kapoor and his actress-daughter Sonam Kapoor may be tucked away in Patiala, filming their on-screen debut as father and daughter, but the duo never train or prep together on set. “Anil’s training time is his ‘me’ time when he concentrates solely on himself, no distractions, no compromise,” says his Australia-based trainer, Marc Mead, who has been working closely with the actor since 2011.

Marc had first come on board as the actor’s yoga instructor and, over the years, has trained the 61-year-old actor with multi-functional workouts. Now, he is travelling with the actor for the first schedule of his next, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga.

The film which kicked off on January 24, also features Anil’s Andaaz and Deewana Mastana co-star Juhi Chawla who will join the schedule in February, and Rajkummar Rao as Sonam’s love interest. TV actress Madhu Malti has stepped in as Anil’s wife. “Anil is like a kid, extremely excited. His character sports a look that hasn’t been seen in a long time — with a grey beard. We are shooting at a family house in Patiala which is the perfect setting for the film,” director Shelly Dhar reveals, adding that the film is being shot entirely at real locations.

Meanwhile, Marc’s focus has been to make Anil looking suave for the part. The actor will be undertaking a new routine every month so he stays energised. “We brought in a tyre-training technique to help him improve his compound moves. On location, there is no gym. Anil likes adapting to a new training environment while my aim is to find new ways to shock his muscle system. He trains with at least one or two intensive workouts, six days a week, and never has a slack period,” informs Marc.