Before he became an undercover spy alongside actor Ranveer Singh in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar films, actor Mustafa Ahmed began his journey in the industry as a celebrity trainer.

We caught up with him to find out some interesting facts about the actors he has trained. “All of them are foodies,” he laughs. For actor Hrithik Roshan he reveals, “He can eat! I’ve seen him having 13–14 ghee waali chapatis. He only stopped because the next one took time to arrive. He’s an absolute foodie!”

Talking about actor Vicky Kaushal, whom he trained for the now-shelved The Immortal Ashwatthama, Mustafa shares, “He can eat a brick and digest it! I don’t know what kind of metabolism he has. It is so difficult to make him gain weight or muscle.”

On actor Yami Gautam Dhar, he shares, “She loves her chai and ghar ka khaana.”

And when it comes to Ranveer? “He can sniff out Nutella from anywhere; he will find it!” That love for food, however, became an advantage during Dhurandhar. Mustafa reveals, “It was Aditya sir’s brief that Ranveer had to look like a beast, but not stiff. We had very little time. He was around 75–76 kilos, and by the first day of the shoot, he was 87 kilos. He had to eat a lot!”

Despite the intense transformation, Mustafa calls him a dream client: “Ranveer is a treat to train. Everyone knows his energy. He enjoys weight training. In his words, ‘Sir, loha todte hain (Let’s pump iron)’.” The regimen was relentless: “Two sessions a day for four to five weeks. That’s how we got him to look like someone who could rip a person apart with his bare hands.” 

Ali Fazal with Mustafa Ahmed and Ayesha Bllimoria. Pic/Instagram

Ali Fazal flies down special trainers to Delhi to help him bulk up for web series
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 1, 2019)

While Ali Fazal was dedicatedly working towards attaining a bulky frame for the second season of Mirzapur, his regimen recently hit a roadbloack when the shoot of Netflix's House Arrest required him to head to Delhi for few months. Not one to compromise on his fitness, the actor — who had been sweating it out with Mustafa Ahmed in the gym — got the celebrity trainer and a member from his team flown down to the capital to keep a check on his regimen.

A source reveals, "Mustafa has designed a movement-based exercise, keeping Ali's body type and requirements in mind. When the actor had to shift base to Delhi, it was imperative that he have a personal trainer supervising his workouts and diet. So, Mustafa and his colleague Nakul were made to fly down to the capital to help the actor achieve his goal before Mirzapur rolls in July."

Confirming the news, Fazal adds, "I had to begin my prep for the second season of Mirzapur early. We did a lot of conditioning workouts in Delhi. The idea was to achieve a muscular frame, which required close monitoring. I am glad Mustafa and Nakul were by my side."

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.”

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 24, 2018)

Three days ago, Ranveer Singh sent social media into a frenzy by sharing an image of his lean avatar from his upcoming drama, Gully Boy. That his dramatic transformation follows his stint as Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat, which saw him pack on several pounds of muscle, makes it noteworthy.

While the actor was training under the guidance of celebrity coach Mustafa Ahmed while shooting for Padmaavat, he embarked on his weight-loss journey without assistance. A source says Singh shed 12 kilos over three months to acquire the chiseled look of a street rapper. Shedding light on his regimen, the source says that the actor put down his weights and took to the streets to burn calories. "While Ranveer had taken to heavy weight-lifting during Padmaavat, he returned to his usual routine comprising two hours of intense cardio sessions. He would kick-off the day with an hour-long bout, and follow it with another in the evening."

The cardio sessions involved running and swimming, the latter justifying his multiple spotting at Bandra's Otters Club recently. Even though the actor kept an arm's length from the bigger weights, he performed moderate weight-training exercises, coupling them with functional movements like push-ups, burpees and squats, to maintain his physical fitness.

Like his fitness routine, Singh took charge of his diet too. He kept a watchful eye on the consumption of sugar and salt, continuously attempting to minimise the latter. "His meals were cooked in less salt. He also eliminated sugar from his diet. Given that he has a sweet tooth, and harbours a love for chocolate, this was tough." Singh, we hear, reduced his carbohydrate intake, which helped him shave off the kilos faster. "He had a high-protein diet, comprising egg whites. At breakfast, he accompanied that with fruits. For lunch and dinner, he consumed meat or fish with a bowl of stir fried vegetables."