Excited to bag Salman Khan-starrer Bharat, Disha Patani on acing her trapeze artist act despite injury
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 25, 2019)

Thrilled as she was to share screen space with Salman Khan so early on in her career, Disha Patani says that slipping into the role of a trapeze artist for Bharat was far from easy. While she underwent a two-month training in parkour and gymnastics to render the part with authenticity, the actor ended up injuring her knee only a week before the shoot kicked off in Mumbai.

"As part of my prep, I had already learnt different kinds of skills like front and back flips. However, I hurt my knee just days before the shoot. I was doing a front salto [a flipping skill which includes a front or back tuck] during my rehearsal when I mistimed my landing and injured my knee. I was advised bed rest for the next few days and underwent deep tissue massages for relief. Luckily, I recovered [in time] for the shoot," says Patani, who plays one of Khan's love interests in the Ali Abbas Zafar-directed drama.

Ahead of the shoot in July, her to-do list included perfecting the different trapeze acts — including swinging and spinning — since she would share the frame with European circus artists in the sequences. She learnt the art under the sharp supervision of action trainer and parkour expert Nadeem Akhtar. "He devised a particular workout, that included gymnastics, to help me become agile."