Spending his lockdown birthday with family, Ayushmann Khurrana begins prep to play a cross-functional athlete in Abhishek Kapoor's next
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 14, 2020)

Last year, his birthday resolution was to spend more time with family. Call it a wish come true or the larger force of nature at work, but Ayushmann Khurrana — who has been spending the lockdown in hometown Chandigarh — finds himself surrounded by his near and dear ones as he blows the candles on his 36th birthday today. "I don't remember the last time I did this in the recent years. It's special to have all of them around on my big day," says Khurrana, who spent the last few birthdays on a film set.

Though away from a set, the actor has work on his mind. Considering the shoot of director Abhishek Kapoor's next is tentatively slated for October, Ayushmann Khurrana has been working out extensively to achieve the lithe frame of a cross-functional athlete. "I'm racing against time to achieve the desired physique and can't take a single day off. I want the audience to see something new about me, which is why I am working hard to transform (into an on-screen athlete)."

The actor, who has been put on a protein-rich diet to aid his transformation, says he has been pursuing functional core training for two to three hours daily, with Mumbai-based trainer Rakesh Udiyar guiding him over video calls and intensifying the regimen as they near the schedule. "I have to do legs on Mondays and keep looking for excuses to avoid them. I'm hoping I will be able to walk after my session and be in the right condition to celebrate," he laughs.

To convincingly portray an Army officer in his upcoming web series, Amit Sadh on how he bulked up in three months
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; December 5, 2018)

His successful web outing Breathe behind him, Amit Sadh is now hard at work for Applause entertainment’s drama, India Strikes - 10 Days, which is based on the 2016 Uri attacks. Apart from getting into the mindspace of the character, the actor had to bulk up to slip into the role of Major Mike Tango, the mission leader of the Indian Army’s Special Forces team that conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps along the LoC. “It was a conscious decision to show the physicality that Special Force officers have,” begins Sadh. Training rigorously under the guidance of Rakesh Udiyar — the man who helped Aamir Khan pile on the kilos for Dangal — the actor recounts how he went from a lean 72 kilos to 90 kilos for the Raj Acharya-directed drama. The key, he says, was to stick to his regimen of body weight training and cardio. “Over a period of three months, I would do fasted cardio — which is essentially working out on an empty stomach — every morning, and then work on my abs. Post that, I used to go back home, have two meals and then return for another round of cardio and weight training,” says Sadh, adding that kick-boxing too featured prominently in his routine. His dietary modifications implied that he had to cut down on sugar entirely.

Sadh says the demanding workout regimen, coupled with the dietary changes, often took a toll on him mentally. “There were days when I would be snappy when a workout session was not to my liking. I went through mood swings; there were days when I went back home wondering if all my efforts were worth it. But I channelled it in a positive way, I went to my next gym session and worked harder.” 

For Bobby Deol, turning his sagging career around has been as much about positivity as transforming his physique in four months
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 25, 2018)

Bobby Deol is fortunate that his body responds to workouts easily. "I'm lucky," he says, moments after warning that body transformation stories, like his own, are a result of toiling away at the gym for months.

As far as he's concerned, he pulled off the feat in four months. And though blessed with great Punjabi genes, it's evident that he isn't willing to let the change he made happen for Race 3 get wasted.

We get a groggy welcome from Deol's dogs on a Wednesday morning at his Juhu bungalow. The 7 am call time with trainer Rakesh Udiyar, is to ensure he gets his dose at the gym before jetting off to London a few hours later.

From being the man who was "not in the mood" to train, Deol is now obsessive about his routine, even a month after the release of Race 3, which had moviegoers ooh-aahing at his fit frame.

"Many a times, I've called my trainer at 5 am. [After Race 3] things have changed. Now, unless I've trained, I find myself thinking about my impending workout, all day long," he says between sets at his home gym.

In a corner of his fourth floor terrace, the facility brims with weight training equipment that carry the weight of their own history. The machines reveal that generations of the Deol family have been whipped into great shape at their expense. Even though he does, Deol doesn't need to tell us that he's old school.

"It's because of the traditional methods of training that I believe in, that I think, weight training has brought about a significant change [in me]. Also, I have Rakesh to thank. I've trained with many coaches, including [Varun Dhawan's trainer] Prashant Sawant, since [his facility is] close by, but when Salman asked me if I'd like to train with his trainer, I was game. I mean, look at Salman!" he says in praise of Udiyar, who is also responsible for Aamir Khan's physical transformation for wrestling drama, Dangal.

Having found himself in Khan's fold since the actor needed a makeover for Sultan, Udiyar evidently holds his words close. "When bhai briefed me about how Bobby needed to look in Race 3, I knew I only had four months to work with him. I put him through a food intolerance test and a medical history test to check for ailments [that could affect or slow down my process]. Once cleared, we started working diligently," he says.

But switching gears from a monotonous, thematic workout to match pace with Udiyar's 'giant', 'drop' and 'super' sets could rattle even the fittest. "Initially, he did find it difficult," admits the trainer, adding, "but, we both knew that this is what bhai wanted; this was the need of the hour for the film. That kept him going. I could see that he wanted to achieve this for the film, and for himself."

Not one to downplay the effort put into acquiring such definition a year shy of hitting 50, Deol admits he had a lot working in his favour. He isn't lured easily by food. In fact, "mostly a vegetarian while on the Keto diet a while ago", Deol found himself watchfully consuming protein-rich non-vegetarian food only at Udiyar's behest. "That's because I was training hard and needed to build muscle. In fact, while I was against consuming protein shakes, it was only after I was educated about the fact that they are merely meal replacements that I was willing to consume them. You get them in cookie-cream flavour, and you can add peanut butter too. Who knew you could enjoy peanut butter when on a diet?"

Deol knows maintaining this shape is tougher than achieving it. "I know my trainer would be happier if I did more cardiovascular workouts. He hates that I don't. But I have a functional training component that also increases the heart rate, thus achieving similar benefits."

Ruling out his weekly indulgences as motivation to hit the gym, Deol says he is inspired by what he sees in the mirror. "Heading to the gym takes a lot [from an individual], but once you start seeing results, you're instantly motivated. You have to start liking what you see in the mirror. I sense that people look at me differently. If my body reacts to training this way now, I wonder how it would have been, had I trained [well] in my 20s. I'd probably have had the best physique in Bollywood."

10 percent is Deol's approximate body fat percentage
*A person with a body fat percentage between 6 and 13 is considered to have an athletic body*

Rakesh Udiyar on Deol's training
We train together for six days a week, targeting a specific body segment each day. We conclude sessions with cardiovascular activity. There's also skipping and boxing, apart from functional training, that we incorporate. I am mindful of his routine, and the length and nature of sessions depend on his schedule. While the regimen is not easy, I don't tire him. For instance, on days when he heads to dance class, I don't train the lower body. Also, he primarily follows a low carbohydrate and high protein diet, and has benefited from the plan.

Deol on cheat meals
While I avoid sugar, I do have chocolates, sometimes. Also, I love pancakes, and had almost forgotten how good they tasted. When shooting for Race 3, we were instructed to have a cheat meal every seven days. For breakfast, I'd have five pancakes, complete with honey syrup and butter.

Ready for second innings in films, Bobby Deol recounts how mentor Salman Khan offered Race 3 to him
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; May 23, 2018)

He may have seen little success in his first innings, but Bobby Deol believes he has an ace up his sleeve with a big-ticket film like Race 3. The actor hopes that the much-anticipated film, which sees him sharing screen space with Salman Khan, will bring him back in the game.

Recollecting how Khan offered the multi-starrer to him, Deol says, "One day, Salman called me and said, 'Mamu, shirt utarega?' I told him I am ready to do whatever he wants me to. The next day, he invited me over for lunch. I was incredibly nervous. In fact, before I sat down to have the meal with Salman, I excused myself to go to the washroom and I was so nervous that I couldn't even find the tap," he laughs.

Bobby Deol says he is glad to have found a strong support in the superstar, who offered him the movie even though his chips were down. "Salman called me at a time when I was focussing on my career again. I am hungry for more work and hopefully, things will turn around."

At 49, Deol is looking fitter than ever. He credits his mentor for the transformation. "After Salman Khan made me realise that I should take better care of my body, I started training with Prashant Sawant. Once I signed Race 3, I was training with Salman's fitness coach [Rakesh Udiyar] and his assistant, Prajwal."

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 17, 2018)

Last year, Bobby Deol had mentioned in an interview how, despite being a huge star in the ’90s, he had suddenly lost his stardom and wasn’t receiving any film offers. A year later, he has three movies in his kitty and is also in talks for a few other projects. He is fitter than ever before and some people have even opined that he’s looking his best right now. Recently, several pictures of his metamorphosis took social media by a storm.

We spoke to Bobby about what prompted him to reinvent himself and the actor made some interesting revelations...

ON THE WORK FRONT
Bobby will be seen next in Race 3, Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se and Housefull 4. The actor tells us, “People always wanted to work with me, but they thought I wasn’t interested. I have been in the industry for so many years. Some of my movies have worked well, while others haven’t. It’s not that I had no hits. I had slowed down and people thought I had lost interest in acting. But now, they know that I’m back. Also, positivity helps a lot. You attract more people and do good work.”

THE TRIGGER BEHIND THE TRANSFORMATION
There’s a striking change in the before and after images of Bobby. He explains that things changed for the better when he altered his outlook towards life. “Earlier, I took the concept of fitness lightly,” admits the 49-year-old, before adding, “A couple of years ago, I was moving slower and time was flying past me. I was left behind and when things are not going right, you don’t take care of yourself. Gradually, I realised I had to move forward and stand tall.” He says that developing a positive attitude helped him immensely.

“My wife would tell me, you should be prepared for everything. Work can come anytime and you need to be ready for it. It was not that my fans weren’t ready to watch me, but I wasn’t paying attention to myself. When I started doing so, I got a call from Salman and Race 3 happened.”

WHAT WENT INTO IT
Bobby calls Salman the ‘angel who motivated him’. “He is truly an inspiration. He believed in me and made me understand that I should take better care of my body.” He reveals that his superstar friend, who is also his co-star in Race 3, got his personal trainer Rakesh Udiyar to work on him as well. “He is the head coach but I train with his assistant, Prajwal, who’s always with me. Rakesh is Salman’s trainer but monitors the workouts that I do every day,” he says.

He rues, “I’ve put my life and soul to get the best physique I can for the film. This industry is ruled by perception and I’m happy that the transformation has changed everyone’s outlook towards me.”

Bobby reveals, “I exercise for one-and-a-half hours every day with weights and cardio. You need to burn the calories, fats and also gain muscles. Earlier, I used to work out, but now I’m pushing the levels.” Is this his best version, we ask. And pat comes the response, “I don’t know if that’s true. But, yes, I am happy with the response. People have liked my metamorphosis.”

Apart from rigorous workouts, the actor also followed a diet that was rich in protein and fibre. He informs us, “Eighty per cent of the transformation is because of what you consume. You need to eat the right kind of food. I cut down on my alcohol intake completely, because you can’t get fit by intoxicating yourself,” he laughs. “I eat a lot of proteins and fibre. As protein is difficult to digest, you need to have fibre, too. Occasionally, you need to have a cheat meal which gives you that extra energy.” Ask him about his guilty pleasure and he smiles, “I am off sugar completely, except when I eat chocolates at times, because that’s my only weakness.”

Bobby also shares an important tip for every other ordinary man. “Earlier, I had started following a keto diet. Keto gets you off sugar totally. Sugar might be comfort food but is the biggest enemy and no one realises that. If you stop sugar and wheat, you will see how drastically your body changes. Today, wheat is so refined and due to the huge demand, people adopt several artificial methods to grow them faster. It’s the worst grain to have,” he avers.

THE PLAN AHEAD
With a strong line-up of films, Bobby’s career is definitely back on track. He says, “I’m definitely in a happier zone. However, there’s also an insecurity about whether it will continue as we are always craving for more work. Today, all actors are commodities and you have to sell yourself. So, you need to have the right attitude.”

He adds that he doesn’t want to relegate himself to certain kinds of roles. “I’m part of films where our characters stand out the most, not just the main star cast. The strategy is to stay fit and people will come to me. I didn’t realise how media has changed and how you have to keep putting yourself more out there. It makes a lot of difference to people who read it. My family and I have always been honest. We say what we have in our hearts,” Bobby signs off.

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 28, 2017)

Mirror (September 19) was the first to report that Vicky Kaushal will play a commander-in-chief in Ronnie Screwvala’s upcoming production Uri, directed by debutant Aditya Dhar, which revolves around the 2016 Uri attack. The 29-year-old actor has already begun prepping for the film for which he has to gain around 10-12 kg. Rakesh Udiyar, who was behind Aamir Khan’s metamorphosis as a wrestler in Nitesh Tiwari’s Dangal, is training him.

“I have three months for prep. I have to beef up and gain lean muscle as the aim is to not only build up the size but also strength. I work out for around two hours every day. This includes functional, core and weight training. My diet is a combo of high carbs and high proteins for now,” informs Vicky, who started training with Rakesh a week before Diwali, missing out on his favourite karanjis and laddoos.

He will start his paramilitary training after a month of bodybuilding. This will entail learning about how missions are conducted and basic physical drill. There will also be a few days of technical training during which he will learn how to use the ammunition, artillery and military sign language. “This will be followed by a month-long martial arts training. The action includes hand combat and martial arts is a must for it,” the actor adds. Will he take tips from his action director father Sham Kaushal? “I take his advice on everything, not just action. For now, he just wants me to give my 100 per cent. His first film Prahaar, directed by Nana Patekar, was also a military-based action film,” Vicky signs off.

Fitness trainer Rakesh Udiyar, common to Aamir Khan in 'Dangal' and Salman Khan for 'Sultan', spills the beans on how both took to their physical transformation
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; October 26, 2016)

Even prior to the release of the trailer six days ago, Nitesh Tiwari's Mahavir Singh Phogat biopic, 'Dangal', was the talk of the town over leading man Aamir Khan's intense physical transformation. Now, with the results of his toil out for everyone to admire, the actor is once again gaining accolades for convincingly essaying both the part of a lean athlete, and a hefty father, in a single film.

Aamir's fitness trainer, Rakesh Udiyar, who once sold candies in local trains for a living, was also responsible for sculpting the body of Salman Khan for Ali Abbas Zafar's wrestling-drama, 'Sultan'. Udiyar was tasked with a job that few in his field would chance upon — making superstars gain incredible amount of weight, and then whip them into their best shapes ever.

Speaking to hitlist about the difference in the way the two top stars endured similar physical demands, Udiyar says, "Since Salman sir has always been conscious about his diet, he followed a healthy meal plan even as he packed on the kilos for 'Sultan'. All that we had to do was increase the carbohydrate intake."

The systematic alteration of the diet, he informs, also facilitated a smoother weight-loss process later. Point out that Salman's wildly-discussed pot-belly didn't seem like the product of a "healthy diet" and he confesses that cameras can be deceiving: "Even in the worst shape of his life, Salman will still have two packs. Actors can look at least 10 pounds heavier by altering the posture, and pushing the belly out."

While Salman was cautious about his meals even as he swelled into a 92-kilo-frame, the usually particular Aamir, who gained 30 kilos to essay the role of an older Mahavir Singh Phogat, enjoyed a string of guilt-free indulgences whilst packing in the pounds. "He really enjoyed himself and ate whatever he wanted," Udiyar says, alluding to the fact that the 'pk' actor has himself spoken about cherishing his journey towards the wrong side of the scale.

However, tables turned when the weight had to be shaved. "When it came to losing the kilos, Aamir was unrelenting. He'd monitor every calorie and every gram, never once faltering from the chart drafted for him. He was cautious about eating at the specified hour and kept away from all the meals he had seamlessly taken to earlier," says Udiyar, confessing that Salman was comparatively relaxed with his eating habits, while losing weight.

"You need to understand that Salman sir puts in three to four hours a day into his workouts. Additionally, he cycles and plays sports whenever he can. Someone as active as him doesn't necessarily suffer from a few lapses in the diet," he informs. Talking about the torturous process of shedding 18 kilos in a meagre 28 days for Omung Kumar's 'Sarbjit', actor Randeep Hooda had confessed that he wouldn't recommend anyone to go through a transformation of such a nature.

Did the two Khans feel as agitated during their turns? "The great part about the two actors is that their dedication to their job drives them past anything. Once they have made up their mind to endure this, such irritations could seamlessly be brushed off," Udiyar signs off.