Sujeet Kargutkar with Taapsee Pannu

Whether or not it could be considered safe for a woman to acquire six-pack abs has long been a discussion in the wellness industry, with most practitioners citing that minimising fat percentage to single digits is often not favourable. But, Taapsee Pannu’s trainer Sujeet Kargutkar disagrees.

“A woman’s body fat percentage can be as low as 12, and she can still have a healthy lifestyle. Your menstrual cycle can get adjusted. If you eliminate sugar, gluten and packaged foods, you would [be able to hit] this number,” says the trainer, who got Pannu looking her athletic best ahead of her shoot for a sportswear brand.

A far cry from the strength training sessions that dominated her regimen, Pannu’s new plan included a mix of cardiovascular activities, yoga, HIIT, and functional training, which were “combined in a way to help her [develop] a fine midriff”. “A woman would want to have the kind of body [that she has built]. It has a feminine touch, and a ripped core. Women don’t want bulky shoulders or visible triceps, because it makes them look manly. I think this is an ideal body for [a woman].”

For five months, Kargutkar worked with Pannu over 90-minute sessions, even in the midst of her shooting stints. “We worked in local gyms, even in rural areas; we trained in six degrees in Agra and Nainital, and at 33 degrees in Bhuj. Even if she was running a fever, or was unwell after a 14-hour shoot, she would show up. It is possible to acquire this frame if one is disciplined, which she is.”

Pannu has more than one voice to vouch for her discipline. Her nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal agrees, and admits that supplements were indeed used to help her acquire the physical frame that she did. “We’d frequently discuss what was and wasn’t working, and would adjust the supplements accordingly. Among other things, Glutamine was one that we added to help her recover from her training routines, faster.”

While she doesn’t choose to put her clients on a high dose of non-vegetarian meals, Ganeriwal says the inclusion of protein shakes in Pannu’s diet wasn’t aesthetically favouring her. “So, I put her on a daily dose of white meat, including chicken, eggs, and fish. This enabled her to consume the required amount of protein that was needed to build muscle definition. Also, we never put her on a no-carb diet. She got her carbs from millets, which, being rich in fibre, are satiating, and also better suited for fat loss.”

Every day is admittedly a challenge for Taapsee Pannu, who has shed the lockdown lethargy and hit the running track with a vengeance. The actor kicked off the shoot of Rashmi Rocket in Pune earlier this week. While the Akarsh Khurana-directed venture was to originally roll in March-end in Kutch, the pandemic not only put the brakes on the impending shoot, but also on Pannu's rigorous two-month prep for her sprinter act.

"I had to start from scratch when I resumed my training," exclaims Pannu, who began training anew in September while shooting for Haseen Dillruba and her upcoming Tamil film. "I had trained from January to March for the film but through the lockdown it was hard to maintain the fitness levels. Gyms were shut and there were limited resources at home. Training after lockdown is mentally exhausting. I was shooting for my Tamil film, Haseen Dillruba and simultaneously training. Food limitations are far too many. My body went through quite a shock because the diet was completely altered. The one thing I was clear, though, was that I will never take any steroids. I have achieved my fitness in the healthiest way possible. It's not about hitting a mark and then giving it up. Fitness is a lifestyle choice and I don't want to do something that has far reaching side effects. There's more to life than a film. This is my job and I love it but I will never want to do something to my body that I will regret all my life. It took more effort, more work and to achieve this physique in three months."

The actor credits her fitness army – gym coach Sujeet Kargutkar, track trainer Melwyn Crasto, physiotherapist Prachi Shah and nutritionist Munmun Ganeriwal – for seeing her through the phase. "Sujeet's patience at my lack of doing heavy weightlifting is amazing. Melwyn has been a coach in Indian railways; he trained Farhan [Akhtar] in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag [2013]. After every day, after the strenuous workout, Prachi saves me. Munmun makes sure I am eating the right meals," she says, noting that the producers have invested deeply in her training. "It's a big scale film. The producers have monetarily and emotionally invested in me and shown such faith and patience, that I don't want to let them down."

Though the movie is a fictional story about a Kutch-based girl who discovers her athletic prowess, Pannu is drawing inspiration from sprinters Dutee Chand and Hima Das. "I have been observing Indian and international athletes and their running patterns, body forms and style. If it were a biopic, the approach would have been different. This is inspired by real incidents that happened to sprinters. The film touches on many aspects – from the society's response to female athletes to the politics of the sporting universe. Most of my films question the elephant in the room, and this will be no exception."

Alternating Rashmi Rocket with Looop Lapeta, Pannu is booked out for the next 6 months. "After February I start Anurag Kashyap's film and then I move to Shabash Mithu. There are a few announcements in the pipeline as well," she says, signing off.