Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 23, 2019)

Come March, Ali Fazal will begin shooting for the second season of Mirzapur. But before he dives into the world of grit and goons, the actor has to attain an athletic frame in keeping with his gun-toting character, Guddu Pandit. We hear, he has roped in Hrithik Roshan’s trainer Mustafa Ahmed to supervise his physical transformation.

A source reveals, “While the last season saw Ali bulked up, he will need to lose the extra kilos and flaunt a lean frame in the next instalment. Mustafa has designed a 12-week plan to achieve the feat — Ali works out for two hours every day, seven days a week. His regimen mainly includes cardio exercises such as running and cycling. He alternates it with minimal weight training that will help tone his body.”

Having trained under the watchful gaze of Ahmed over the past three weeks, Fazal says, “After I had trained for [the first season of] Mirzapur, my body was under a lot of stress and I suffered several injuries. So, I briefed Mustafa that first and foremost, I needed proper alignment of the body. He is helping me attain that.”