Shahid Kapoor and Samir Jaura on building up and breaking down the actor's body for Kabir Singh
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; June 12, 2019)

For an actor who is admittedly particular about being in shape, Shahid Kapoor is surprisingly unperturbed about being undone on screen for Kabir Singh. "It's always character before your personal life," he says before chronicling the process of first gaining eight kilos, and then losing 14, for the film.



For The Weight Gain Portion

What Shahid wanted
The team decided to first shoot the portions that saw me out of shape. The character goes through an emotional phase; he is self-destructive and doesn't care about how he looks. Actors are used to [looking] their best, at all times. But, here, I had to look as disinterested as I could about the way I appeared. Hence, we took the decision to grow the hair and beard. They took about two-and-a-half months to grow out, and during this phase I worked with my trainer Samir Jaura on drafting a plan and achieving the [hefty] look. If you sit down and make a plan, there's a smart way of [gaining weight].

How Jaura helped him

Shahid wanted his body to be de-constructed to play an [alcoholic] surgeon. We wanted the puffiness on his face and the softness in his body to make it as real as possible. So, we limited his training to one hour a day. We incorporated light weight training and focused on keeping his joints mobile because we knew that post this, he would have to get into a strenuous workout regimen to lose 14 kilos. So we didn't want to invite any injury at that time. His diet helped him achieve the [heavier] look. If his body needed 2,000 calories, I was giving him 3,600-4,000 calories a day. He had a lot of dense-calorie foods, involving rice and pastas.

Weight to gain 8 kilos
Calories 4,000



For The Weight Loss Portion

What Shahid wanted
I wanted to look boyish for the younger portions to play a medical student. I didn't want a perfect body; one that was manicured or chiselled because that's not how college-going boys look. Seventy-five per cent of what you eat depends on your diet. I don't drink alcohol and am a vegetarian. Generally, I live a healthy lifestyle. To lose weight, I needed to severely cut the calories I consumed, and train harder. Even though we were training, the look was achieved more via the diet; not so much in the gym. We had two months to lose the weight. I didn't want to rush into anything since that is not healthy.

How Jaura helped him
Since he wanted a boyish look, we incorporated a lot of boot-camp training, beach training and agility work into his routine. He was training for three hours a day, and it was primarily cardiovascular work to [shave off] the fat. He was consuming four to five meals a day, and the calories were limited to 1,800. Transformations like these are conducted under professional guidance. You need to understand the requirement of the look in the film, and the time in hand to achieve it. The hardest part is maintaining a certain look across the shooting schedule because actors [expend a lot of energy while] shoot for 10 hours a day.

Weight to lose 14 kilos
Calories 1,800

Pooja Makhija On His Diet

Shahid has always given exercise a lot of importance, which makes a transformation of this kind relatively simpler because he is dedicated. If I give him an eating pattern, he will not tweak it to the slightest, even if that means eating the same food for 30 days. A vegetarian diet allows enough scope to adjust the protein and carbohydrate ratio. But, it may not be easy to comfortably include all the protein that's required into the diet. So, we had to also include protein extracts from plant sources. I worked with his trainer to adjust his carbohydrate and protein ratio based on the energy expenditure (including workout intensity) for that day. Carbohydrates are energy sources, and were upped when needed.

18% Kapoor's body fat percentage when he was overweight
9% his normal body fat percentage
(The average body fat % for a relatively healthy man is between 15 and 19%)

Shahid Kapoor on playing a self-destructive leading man
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 11, 2019)

Shahid Kapoor has been immersed in Kabir Singh, the Hindi remake of the 2017 Telugu drama, Arjun Reddy, which chronicles the downfall and resurgence of its protagonist, a surgeon who hits the self-destruct button. Now, the actor discusses what made the process creatively exciting but emotionally draining. Excerpts:

How challenging was it to transform from an angry Kabir Singh to a happy family man?
It was almost schizophrenic because the two worlds are such contrasts. Had I been single, living alone, I might have immersed myself in this dark zone for six months, like I did during Udta Punjab. But this time I am married, a father, so I had to sanitize myself before returning home to protect my children from the negative energy. I couldn’t carry Kabir’s emotional baggage back so I had to flip roles after ‘pack-up’.

Difficult?
Yes, it took a lot out of me because not only does this character degenerate into a loner in a self-destructive mode, I had to also create three different silhouettes, one of which needed me to be out of shape. That upped the physical challenge but also needed mental conditioning because as actors we are used to showcasing ourselves in our best shape. Here, I wanted to look my worst for an honest portrayal.

How many kilos did you gain?
My normal weight is around 71-72 kg, I had to go up to 76-77 kg, a lot of it fat, and look destroyed. There are scenes when I’m alone in the house, drinking, in shorts or pajamas, bare-chested. It’s not a pleasant sight but the character demanded that I not be a star but step into actor mode. And since I’m an actor first, I was excited.

But you got to eat stuff which is usually taboo for an actor...
There was nothing enjoyable about it. My fitness trainer Samir Jaura who helped me acquire a Rajput warrior king’s body for Padmaavat was shocked when I told him now he had to help me look as out of shape as possible. It hurt to see all our hard work go waste after, and there was this niggling fear... what if I never looked that way again. But having seen the original, and Vijay’s performance, I knew we had to keep it real. I’d shaved off my hair before (for Haider), this time I grew it out and also my beard.

Yeah, you looked somewhat disheveled for a while…
That’s because at that point in his life, my character wouldn’t bother to look into the mirror. Usually doctors are very particular about hygiene, but this guy’s personal space was so messed up, it was eating into him and reflected in his work. I didn’t only have to look like an alcoholic, but an alcoholic doctor.

Not all through the film...
No, Kabir starts out as a 24-25-year-old medical student who’s about to graduate and start practicing. During that phase I had to look like a young boy. I either pulled out clothes from my wardrobe or pulled them off real students. And after going up to 76-77 kgs, I had to go lose weight till I was down to 65 kgs. I had to keep to strict timelines since I had just two-three months to prep.

This yo-yoing from lean to fat and back could go against you in the future.
(Sighs) As an actor, my job is to push myself, I can’t stay in one zone for too long. I’m aware there could be health implications. The only way out is to surround myself with the right people, give myself some downtime after I finish a film. Not be at it back-to-back and be brazen about it.

You don’t drink or smoke, are a strict vegetarian and disciplined in your lifestyle. So how is it playing characters like Tommy Singh in Udta Punjab and Kabir Singh whose lives spiral out of control?
I never judge a character I am playing, I become him. Tommy was a crazy guy, the drugs had messed him up, but Kabir loves intensely and passionately. People need to feel the beauty of his love story to understand his angst and pain when he loses this love and hits the self-destruct button. We all go through heartbreaks and can get self-destructive, but this is another level altogether.

Why is the film called Kabir Singh when the original was titled Arjun Reddy?
Singh because my character is a Punjabi here. The director, Sandeep Vanga, came up with the name Kabir Singh which we thought was apt for the new draft. This guy lives in Mumbai but goes to the capital city to study. Since I was born and lived in Delhi, I’ve seen such strong-minded Alpha males on the campus and could understand that aggressive vibe.

What drew you to the original?
I liked the character’s emotional graph. It’s cinematic, appealing and gives me scope to perform.

Aren’t you afraid of comparisons?
This film is primarily for a Hindi speaking audience across the country who wouldn’t have seen Arjun Reddy. But I know it’s a cult film down South and some of those who have seen it may come to see our film with high expectations and hopefully an open mind because this is not a copy paste job. Yes, the director is the same because no one understands its soul better. But our version is very different.

Marriage seems to have made you more of a risk-taking actor.
Marriage grounds you, gives you a sense of belonging. You want to do things that will make your family proud. As a father I have to be the best version of myself as my work is being documented. It will be there for my kids to see, give them an understanding of who their father was and what he did. You can’t tell children what to do today, you can just set a good example and let them take away from it what they want.

Talking of children, after being in dark spaces, what is it like to wake up to purity every day?
It comes with its own challenges. After long days or night shifts, I return home longing for sleep. But my daughter Misha will wake me up between 7.30-8 am every morning and drag me to the garden. I have to play with her, tell her stories. And it’s imperative that I give my children as much time as I give to my work. It’s tiring and a constant adjustment. My wife (Mira) is supportive but there are days when I wish for eight hours more. Your ‘me’ time is impacted but it’s gratifying to get a shot of positivity every morning. Misha is a little lady now, Zain is still a baby, but with a daughter and a son it feels like a perfect family.

Did you imagine marriage and fatherhood to be like this?
No, I never thought I deserved something so good. God has been kind.

You’re a biking enthusiast and now there’s an action-packed biking film. Also, a biopic on boxer Dingko Singh. It’s an interesting line-up.
I haven’t confirmed anything officially. Yes, I have the rights to Dingko Singh’s story, it is a work in progress. The biking film has been offered to me, and we are in talks. I’m not sure what I am doing next.

You were spotted with Ekta Kapoor recently, and also Abhishek Kapoor and his wife Pragya. Anything brewing?
Abhishek and Prayga are friends. His son and my daughter are in the same school and we meet socially. Ekta and I have worked together in Udta Punjab. We are always in talks, maybe something will come up again, but that is not to say that something is happening.

Ahead of the DNA iCan Women’s Half Marathon, Shahid Kapoor talks fitness, looking good and how the two aren’t necessarily related
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 24, 2017)

Shahid Kapoor’s tryst with fitness started when Shah Rukh Khan joked about his lanky body during one of his performances with Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe. Shahid fondly recalls the incident which changed his take on being fit. Today, he is one of the fittest heroes in B-Town.

Ahead of the DNA iCan Women’s Half Marathon, we talk to him about his idea of fitness and why it’s more important to be fit than just good-looking...

Professional hazards
Shahid says that actors need to be honest about the fact that they don’t always look as good as the characters they portray. He explains his viewpoint. “It’s a job where I need to be perceived as somebody who’s always really, really looking good. That’s not humanly possible. So, I would say this is a profession which requires you to look good and sometimes, it takes away from health and fitness. Sometimes, we push ourselves really hard and that’s not safe or healthy for any of us.

There’s a certain amount of professional hazard attached to that and you need to know where to draw the line and choose to look after yourselves first.”

Good looks don’t equal fitness
Bringing home the truth of the adage that appearances can be deceptive, Shahid reiterates, “I think people shouldn’t get carried away when they see actors looking great because they have to work very hard for a long period of time to get there. So sometimes, people who look really really good might not be fitter than someone who doesn’t look as good, but is more capable. Fitness is not only about how one looks. That’s my personal philosophy.” He advises, “You shouldn’t obsess about how you look. Rather just focus on how you feel about yourself. That’s very important.”

Vegetarianism not restrictive
Shahid says vegetarians can be fit, too! “I am a vegetarian. I’m here to tell you vegetarians who are told that you can’t have a good body that’s crap. In fact, I don’t even eat eggs or cakes and pastries that even has any residue of egg in them. I am very particular about that. And I have actually made this body in the last eight to 10 years of training really, really hard. I think I’ve looked my best many years after I turned vegetarian. So I don’t think that is restricting at all,” he says. The actor adds, “I don’t drink alcohol. I never have and that’s something I believe in strongly. I used to smoke, I’ve stopped smoking.”

Not repetitive
The actor mixes up his workouts. “At the gym, I do a lot of functional stuff like drills, which is more athletic. I dance, so that automatically gets me to move my body in different ways. I do stuff that isn’t repetitive at all,” he says, adding, “I also get on the treadmill once in a while.”

Extending muscles
The actor says that he likes to train five times a week. “I don’t like doing only weights. I like to do a certain amount of functional training, I like to run. Everytime I hit the gym, I get on the treadmill at least for sometime. I would also like to do some yoga, but I don’t get so much time for it. But it’s on my agenda and it’s something I’ve been wanting to do because I realised it’s very important for my body. When we train in the gym, all the movements we do are essential. Weight-lifting is to contract the muscles so that they grow. You also need to do something exactly opposite to that so that you can extend your muscles. Because otherwise you will end up becoming stiff and very unnatural. It’s equally important for you to do stretching before and after or some other form of exercise, which helps you extend that.”

What fitness means to me
Shahid says fitness is holistic to him. “It has to be that way. Your body has to be able to do different things with a certain sense of dedication,” he says, adding, “Functionality is a big part of that. Your body has to be functional. It’s not about being fit and looking good, it’s also about using your body for different functions — whatever it might be. It’s about doing various things so that your body is not restricted in any way.”

Have a body, keep it fit
Tearing down a gender-based approach to fitness, he says, “You have a body, you should keep it fit. Male or female don’t have differences, it’s pretty much the same. So everyone should be fit and healthy.”

In the right light
Calling DNA iCan a great initiative that “promotes and inspires people to do something that helps them feel fit about themselves or gives them constructive goals for their bodies”, Shahid concludes, “I wish it all the best.”

Actor on carb-heavy diet to gain weight for Padmavati’s next schedule, reveals trainer
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 3, 2017)

Shahid Kapoor is a stickler for getting the perfect physicality for his characters in films, be it going bald for just one scene in Haider or the disheveled look for Udta Punjab.

The actor is set to do it again for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama, Padmavati. For the film’s last schedule, the actor shot for a few bare body scenes, which required him to look lean and flaunt a sculpted physique. But for the film’s next shooting stint, the actor will bulk up.

His trainer, Samir Jaura, tells us, “Since he plays the role of a king (Raja Rawal Ratan Singh), Shahid will have to put on a certain amount of weight to reflect the regal look and complement the majestic costumes. For starters, he will have to put on weight — at least 5 to 10 kilos, although the focus is on building muscles through rigorous strength training exercises. Earlier, I insisted on outdoor and functional training, but we have cut down on that now.”

Besides weight lifting and cardio sessions, the actor has to exercise individual body parts, says Jaura. “Every kind of muscle training is necessary to replicate the look we need. He has been sweating it out, and bulking up without an ounce of fat is a challenge.” Earlier, the actor had gone on a strict diet for 50 days, avoiding sugar and salt for nearly a fortnight and having little carbohydrate. His meals included steamed veggies along with 50 grams of brown rice.

But, his new diet is relatively more carb-heavy. “It was admirable how he didn’t touch bread for over a month. At that time, I had to make sure he eats his veggies — asparagus and broccoli — because he also had to sustain long hours of shoot. Now, he can have 70 grams of rice and/or three rotis. A major point of difference is that we have broken down his regular meals into six smaller ones. Since he is a vegetarian, we ensure he gets enough protein in the form of pulses, tofu and low-fat paneer. We try different combinations with black or brown rice. We alternate between black dal, rajma and chholay regularly,” adds Jaura.