Deepika Padukone could have approached the role of a yoga trainer in Gehraiyaan in two ways. One, she could have slipped into an ongoing class of Anshuka Parwani and noticed the manner in which the trainer corrected postures and conducted sessions. Two, she could have cashed in on the opportunity to learn more about a subject she was passionate about. Evidently, Padukone picked the latter.

Parwani, whose city-based yoga studio could well double up as a hot-spot to spot celebrities, tells mid-day, “Both Deepika and I understood that we would like to approach this opportunity holistically, and not go through these sessions [superficially]. Apart from the physical work, there were many discussions on what we do, as trainers. I taught her many flows, and established the reason behind practicing different flows at different times of the day — like [performing] an energising flow in the morning, the kind that gets you ready for the day, and a grounded and relaxing flow in the evening. Such discussions formed a big part of the collaboration,” says Parwani, who was approached to get Padukone ready to play the part.

Padukone’s portrayal of a yoga trainer may have been a small part of Shakun Batra’s directorial venture, but certain nuances of her act would have put a smile on the faces of trainers, who could find themselves in her. How did the actor pick up on the nitty-gritties of the job?

“Because, as a student, she made the same kind of mistakes that you see her correcting in the film. Only someone with an understanding of anatomy can bring about such corrections, which is why that theory became an important part of the discussion. Since we were training through the pandemic, we didn’t have the opportunity to bring her into class. The training began online. Since we also did sessions with the rest of the cast members [Siddhanth Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Dhairya Karwa], we got three more humans to work with.” 

Watching a chip of her life play out on screen was reason for her, as well as “the entire yoga community” to celebrate. Instances like the one in which Padukone’s character is urged to showcase a few yoga moves during a social gathering, Parwani says, are like taking a leaf out of every fitness trainer’s book.

“It’s something we are always asked to do. People will say, ‘Chalo, show us something’,” she laughs, elated that an industry like Bollywood, which enjoys a devoted following in India, made the fitness format an integral part of the story’s narrative. 

Parwani, who boasts of a clientele including names like Kareena Kapoor Khan — her first student — Alia Bhatt, and Rakul Preet Singh, among others, learnt the art after a near-fatal bike accident rendered her incapable of pursuing her dreams of becoming a pilot. The early bird that she is, she was sent on her first assignment after another teacher couldn’t turn up, and arrived at Khan’s doorstep at 5 am. 

Thereafter, there was no looking back. And despite the fact that filmmakers demand dramatic physical transformations in a relatively short span of time — the kind that is better brought about by other fitness formats — Parwani continues to find favour among B-Town’s actresses. 

“The way people think, has changed. There are certain goals that people need to achieve that only yoga cannot help with. Thus, I train in a format that combines yoga with pilates, and such a hybrid approach [can bring about desired results]. Heading to the gym can bring about faster results. But everyone understands that fitness is as much about tuning in, as it is about the physical body. The thing that rarely gets highlighted about celebrities is that their consistency is [the game-changer]. If Deepika had to shoot at 5 am, we would practice at 4 am. Kareena is also disciplined.”

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt are among other celebrities who learn from Parwani