Prateik Babbar is enjoying the frenetic pace that comes with juggling films and web shows. Before he makes his presence felt on the big screen with Mumbai Saga, the actor will be seen headlining Chakravyuh — An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller. The MX Player series, backed by Applause Entertainment and based on Piyush Jha’s book Anti-Social Network, sees Babbar’s cop character investigate the murder of a college student.  

The actor says he had to start from scratch for his first portrayal of an on-screen cop. “My character Virkar is fit, beefed up and has the strength to run kilometres as he chases wrongdoers. [Before facing the camera], I had to imbibe some of his agility. So, I started running 10 kilometres every day, besides following my regular fitness regime,” he says. 

Ahead of the thriller’s shoot, Babbar toiled in the gym for six weeks in his quest to gain 12 kilos and attain a bulky physique for the role. “Following the diet was the hard part. I had to consult a nutritionist who changed my food routine. My meals had to be timed and apportioned, which is something I’m not used to. I wanted to become one with the character, so I followed the instructions to the T,” says Babbar, who shot the Sajit Warrier-directed venture in Mumbai and Goa.