Rana Daggubati on how he shaved 30 kilos for the role of a jungle man in Haathi Mere Saathi
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 26, 2020)

A far cry from his humongous frame in Baahubali, Rana Daggubati's next avatar sees him 30 kilos lighter and leaner, as he plays jungle man Bandev in Haathi Mere Saathi.

The actor tells mid-day he had to severely monitor his calorie intake to shed the kilos. "Prabu sir [Solomon, director] wanted the film to look real. It was difficult to lose all the weight since I have always had a large physique. I had to undergo extensive physical training to look lean and make adequate dietary changes. My workout was altered entirely; focus was paid on agility [training]."

Instead of continuing his weight-training, the actor took to longer cardiovascular sessions that lasted about an hour. However, he attributes the weight-loss primarily to dietary changes.

"I [stopped consuming] protein-rich [foods] and turned vegetarian for a couple of months. I also reduced the intake of salt, and, in general, ate less," says the actor, adding that he maintained this regimen throughout the two-year filming duration.

A source tells mid-day that Daggubati will be seen sporting a heavy beard and grey hair in the film. "His character walks with one shoulder constantly tilted. The makers tried several appearances, and interestingly, his final look was revealed to him only on the first day [of shoot]."

Set to release on April 2 as Haathi Mere Saathi in Hindi, Kaadan in Tamil and Aranya in Telugu, the film is based on the encroachment of elephant corridors in Kaziranga, Assam.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 4, 2018)

Rana Daggubati’s physical transformation into the fearsome Bhallaladeva for Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) was lauded. His physique was a result of more than a year of rigorous workout and diet.

The actor is currently working on the Hindi-Telugu-Tamil trilingual franchise, Haathi Mere Saathi, a tribute to the 1971 Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja starrer. Daggubati shed almost 15kg over three months for the role. “After finishing Baahubali, I was aware that I’d have to lose weight to play any character. So, I started the process slowly. To get in shape for Haathi Mere Saathi, I didn’t eat non-veg for almost six weeks. I stopped weight training and did simple cardio exercises to shed the muscle,” says the actor.

Giving mid-day a sneak peek into Daggubati’s daily regimen, his trainer, Kunal Gir, tells says, “During Baahubali, his physique fluctuated for four years. He had to follow a strict diet, eliminate carbs and consume only proteins. But, this time, it was the other way around. He was off protein and did light cardio exercises. He has lost almost 15kg. Rana likes to eat every two hours, but we reduced his food intake and followed the three-meals-a-day routine.”

The actor will start shooting for the film, scheduled to hit screens in Diwali, in Thailand. “This film follows a man who lives with elephants in the wild. I want to live my character,” the actor says.