For someone who has adhered to a high-octane exercise regimen for a major part of his career, taking on the task of getting “out-of-shape” for a web series was significantly daunting. “I was petrified,” says Maniesh Paul, who gained 10 kilos for the show that sees him as a simpleton accused of being a con man.

“They wanted me to gain weight to come across as someone who [could not be a con man]. All actors fear gaining weight. I was worried about being unable to shed it. Also, in recent times, there is a fear of the things that are happening to people while exercising at the gym,” says Paul, adding that, considering the “mental state that I am in”, he was willing to take on challenges for his cinematic acts.

“I’d rather become the character than look good [on screen]. If the part needed me to gain or shed weight, or go bald, I’d be okay with that.”

As is with actors who are tasked with piling on several kilos, Paul put his cardiovascular and weight-training regimen to a standstill, and hit pause on his monitored meal plans to enjoy a phase of indulgence. “My calorie intake increased significantly and I began to eat everything that I should not. It was amazing; I had meetha, makhan, and other desserts. Since my body reacts quickly to exercise, I barely trained during this phase.” But while his palate continued to be satiated, Paul grew fairly uncomfortable with his paunch.

“Because I am not used to carrying it, I couldn’t even wear my shoes. I started wearing loose clothes so that nobody would know. They’d say, ‘You’re becoming bigger [more muscular]’. But, they couldn’t see my paunch. When they saw it on screen, it served as an element of surprise.”

Evidently then, Paul was eager to return to routine when he had to torch the additional fat. “When I had to return to train, I’d wake up at 4:30 am, and be in the gym at 5:30. My meals were professionally monitored so that I could shed fat and gain [muscle mass]. When I am on a regimen, my meals are taken care of [by a chef], who meets the requirements set by my trainer. He even dictates how much water I must have. When it comes to training the body, I believe it is made in the kitchen. As a Dilli ka ladka, [it was tough to be told] to not eat more than 2,500 calories. But, if a goal is set, I will stick to it,” says the actor, who also stopped consuming sugar for three months.

“When I am on a regimen, I usually consume six meals a day. I had a lot of grilled chicken to shed the weight. If I am working on a project, I turn to salads. I love eggs, and will increase its intake as well. I enjoy vegetable juices too.” Over four days of weight-training sessions each week, Paul focusses on lifting moderately heavy weights, because “if I can see results while lifting 20 kilos alone, I am happy with that”.

A fair share of free-hand exercises, including pull-ups and push-ups, make up his training sessions. “On the other three days, I take to cardio exercises.” He credits his wife Sanyukta for enabling him to keep up his peak performance. “My wife gets worried, because I am always hyper. She ensures I undergo a blood test regularly. In fact, I don’t even know when the concerned person will arrive for the test. Every five months, she will schedule one. There’s no heroism in saying, ‘Nothing will happen to me’, because, after COVID-19, a lot has changed with people’s health.”

- Cardio is important. You don’t need to run, but, a 45-minute walk is [important]. It’s the best thing that you can do for yourself. You may not be able to lift, but you can walk. My father is 76-years old, and he continues to do it.

- Monitor your intake of sweets. You can’t even [comprehend] how detrimental sugar is.

- Health check-ups are important.

Does talent alone assure you a successful run in showbiz? Priya Bapat rues that it doesn’t, although it ideally should. The actor is having a busy summer, with the third season of City Of Dreams having dropped on Disney+ Hotstar last month. Next up is Jio Cinema’s con drama Rafuchakkar. While she has become a frequent face in OTT offerings now, Bapat notes that talent is not the only factor determining an actor’s inclusion in a project.

“I feel disappointed because eventually what lasts is talent. If you can’t work on your craft, how long will you stretch yourself? Five projects, maybe? People should have faith in the actor. Everything else is immaterial — be it which region you belong to, or what your first language is,” she states.

The actor, whose filmography includes a mix of Marathi and Hindi offerings, observes that the Hindi entertainment industry is quick to label artistes.

“I was labelled a Marathi actor for the longest time till Nagesh Kukunoor saw merit in my work, Sameer Nair [producer] backed him, and City Of Dreams happened to me. I want people to see my worth as an actor. Language is not even a barrier anymore; it’s merely a tool for expression.”

Shedding the label was challenging, but Bapat had faith in her craft. That filmmaker Sanjay Gupta cast her in Visfot after watching the second season of City of Dreams further boosted her confidence. “He was blown away by my performance. Then came Rafuchakkar in which I play a lawyer from Delhi. I hired a coach and worked on my diction. I have been working since 2003; I did a role in Munna Bhai MBBS. But it has taken 20 years to shed the Marathi-actor label and be cast in meaty roles.”

When it comes to host-actor Maniesh Paul, most of us expect a laugh a minute. His maiden web series Rafuchakkar then comes as a refreshing change of pace. Creative duo Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk Nishandar say they were certain about casting Paul as a remorseless conman swindling the rich and corrupt. Nishandar explains, “Maniesh is known for his comic timing on reality shows. People would expect him to do comedy, so it was a great casting [choice] as he is doing a serious show in his first OTT venture.”

In Ritam Shrivastav’s directorial venture, the actor will be seen in different avatars — from a 70-year-old villager, to a gym trainer and a Sardar — as his character pulls off one con after another. Shooting with prosthetics was a challenge for Paul, says Nishandar. “Maniesh would feel claustrophobic in the prosthetics. So, he took six days to get used to them. He had to gain 15 to 20 kilos to play a  villager, and then lose the excess weight, and attain a ripped physique to essay the part of a gym trainer.”

The creative duo, who have previously made Naxalbari (2020) and Raktanchal (2020), consider the nine-part Jio Cinema series among the toughest offerings they have worked on. Baran reasons, “What makes the genre of con dramas difficult is that we can’t have any loops open. So, we spent about a year-and-a-half only to write it.”

Kartk Nishandar and Arjun Singgh Baran