It’s customary for makers of sports dramas to have fitness experts on board. However, in a unique move, director Abhishek Kapoor hired a fitness coach for his upcoming love story, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. Fitness coach Shivoham Dheepesh Bhatt’s first and foremost job was to monitor Ayushmann Khurrana’s form as he plays a cross-functional athlete in the movie. The actor attained an athlete’s lithe frame by training with Rakesh Udiyar, before he reported to the film’s sets in October. 

“Ayushmann was getting into a zone that was new for him — exploring cross-fit and Olympic weightlifting. My job was to oversee his form, technique and movements in every sequence, ensuring that they are up to the mark,” says Bhatt, who joined the unit of the Vaani Kapoor-starrer in Chandigarh.

Over the next 45 days, Bhatt — who has previously worked with Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor — shadowed the leading man. His contribution became pronounced when he played an active role in setting up the climax.

Refusing to divulge details about the sequence, he says, “It required a specific concept that is my area of expertise.  With Abhishek, his set designer, art director and DoP [director of photography], we planned the scene in detail. I had elaborate discussions with the DoP regarding which camera angle to employ on each movement. Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui needed an expert who understands the demands of [cross-functional athletes], much like Akshay Kumar’s Brothers [2015] needed a [boxing] expert to do justice to the technicalities of the sport. A film can look far removed from reality if you don’t have the right collaborators.”