Bollywood Actors: There is no denying the fact that Bollywood has been characterized with great imagination and narration of stories and larger than life characters, and in this evolution, the process of taking up a role by an actor has changed. In the past, it was common to find actors who did not employ dramatic techniques and relied purely on their innate gifts. Nowadays, to complement their roles, many up and coming or established actors of Bollywood undergo and complete the misery of training and mastering the method of performance.
Be it for a physically challenging part, to learn a certain degree of impersonation or adaptation to the character, practically all of these performers pay attention and commit to extreme forms of training. Let’s have a glance at those types of actors of Bollywood who have trained physically for their roles.
Aamir Khan – Dangal (2016) Bollywood Actors
Aamir Khan is an actor that can go to great lengths for any role, and the role in Dangal is the perfect example. For the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a real-world wrestler, Khan transformed his body in an insane manner. At first, he bulked up to the extent of losing his almost fit physique to that of a middle-aged man who has not wrestled in years. Since the later half of the film required him to be a wrestler in his prime, which was not possible otherwise, Khan lost more than 25 kg within a span of few months.
He worked with professional wrestlers, learned various wrestling styles, and maintained a very harsh diet in order to get ready for the role. The audience appreciated his effort in playing the character, and Dangal went on to be one of the All-time highest earning Indian movies ever made.
Hrithik Roshan – Super 30 (2019)
We are used to seeing Hrithik Roshan as an actor who is fit beyond imagination and is able to perform any kind of role. This time the normal routine was broken for him for Super 30. He had to looks like a character called Anand Kumar, a Bihari mathematician who is completely different than others. This character transformation also called for changes in the way Roshan moves, speaks and even his accent.
Nonetheless, the latter part of the preparation needed a lot of work as well. Hrithik had to pause his regular workout regimen because he was required to portray a character with a more down to earth appearance. His vtraining involved weight resistance as well as cardiovascular activities so that the character’s physical makeover would not be unrealistic.
Salman Khan – Sultan (2016)
Salman Khan has always been recognized for having a ripped body, but in the case of Sultan, he had to get into even better shape beyond his fitness regime. As a wrestler, Khan, for instance, had to train in MMA and other fighting techniques. He also undertook the training with a professional wrestler who was his coach helping him with wrestling as well as core workouts and agility training.
To the level of the character portrayed, Salman had to change his body and sustain an extreme level of dedication in the gym. The movie’s rewarding figures at the box office proved how much hard worked he invested in the gains.
Ranbir Kapoor – Sanju (2018)
To portray Sanjay Dutt in Sanju, Ranbir Kapoor underwent yet another level of transformation, but in this case for training purposes. The task required him to resemble Sanjay Dutt in every way possible including his appearance, tendencies, and physical characteristics.
A weightlifting regime, supplemented with a protein-rich diet, helped Kapoor add about 13 kilograms of muscle in records time. Additionaly, to bring authenticity to the character of Dutt, who is known for his specific movements, postures, and fighting technique, he practiced with a body double. His desire to solve the mystery of who Dutt was earned him many awards and the love of the public.
Vidyut Jammwal – Commando Series
One of the most focused actors and clearly an athlete at mind and soul, Vidyut Jammwal is best known for his intense action roles in the Commando series of movies. Jammwal is a martial arts expert and especially inclined towards Kalaripayattu and brings those elements in his films. For action-based roles, he has advanced training in combat and stunts.
Transitions and moving combat is also of high importance in Jammwals training due to the nature of his roles. Jammwal wants to perform bursting “power” agility and speed and so also adds weight training, cardio and even stretching. It is therefore not a surprise that Jayam still remains the best performer in the Commando series, thanks to the stunt work which he honed deeply practiced.
Tiger Shroff – Baaghi Series (2016–2019)
Tiger Shroff is yet another Bollywood actor in whose name fitness and action could easily form a meaningful pair. To play a martial artist and a fighter in the Baaghi series, Shroff had to engage in a lot of gymnastics, kickboxing, and martial arts trainings. There is a very obvious attachment concerning always being in the best shape possible and that is seen in the films’ fight scenes and action scenes.
Shroff regularly posts pictures and videos of his workout daily which encourages his fans to lead a better life. Because of these factors, he is recognised as one of the leading action heroes by the Indian film industry.
Shahid Kapoor – Less Bawdy Kabir Singh (2019)
Shahid Kapoor in Kabir Singh is one of those performances where the actor clearly has some respect for his profession. The narrative of the film mostly deals with the character’s emotional arc; nevertheless, there was also an expectation of his physical change.
As in the case with Rambha, Kapoor took off a lot of pounds and built a slimmer, more toned body to portray the troubled, brutal and emotionally burdened surgeon. The regime combined weight training, HIIT and strict nutrition. The determination of the actor was also visible in the way his cut and muscular build complemented the character he was playing.
John Abraham – Indian Agent Force 2 (2016)
John Abraham is reputed for his stunning muscular form which he relatively maintains even with rigorous workouts. As for the actor in Charge 2, this requirement was complemented with yet another active component – tactical training aimed at performing high-octane fighting scenes. This involved close quarters combat as well as hand-to-hand fighting.
The fitness enhancement coach for Abraham developed a regime that contained strength workouts, martial arts and stretching exercises. His change physical for the part was even more mental in that time required him to be calm and composed for very dangerous stunts.
Kangana Ranaut: Manikarnika (2019):
Playing the character of Rani Lakshmibai in the film Manikarnika, Kangana by no means had it as easy as her past roles. She has to go through rigorous training on sword fighting and horse riding amongst other things. It is well known that when it comes to her roles, the actress is exceptionally dedicated. Hence why, she sought out trainers to teach her these skills, few of which she has successfully mastered.
A disciplinarian fitness regime was also put in place for the actress featuring cardio, strength, and flexibility training to adequately prepare her for the risk of being a warrior queen. A warrior queen was portrayed by her with great diligence as shown in the fight scenes because she did some of the stunts herself.
Rajinikanth – 2.0 (2018)
The iconic actor Rajinikanth, for his role in 2.0, also took an effort, even if he is around in his late 60s. He completely transformed his appearance. It is a familiar fact that Rajinikanth has an enormous on-screen presence and fanfare. As such, he underwent immense physical training to effect the required energy and physicality.
There were also complex battle sequences and special costumes enhanced by computer graphics film technology that he had to master as well because of the requirements of this sci-fi action thriller. The workouts included functional training, endurance work, and stretching. A great level of despise was also bestow upon that active character because of the nature of the active role he was required to play in the movie.
Conclusion
it is evident that Bollywood actors are now fully aware of the lengths actors go to prepare for their roles. Although some may be born with the talent, most are put through astonishing physical and mental drills as part of their preparation so that they can deliver their roles as true to life as possible. These actors go all out learning martial arts, wrestling, accents, physical training and so much more in order to convince the viewers that they are the characters they play.
Their commitment to their craft has been a source of motivation to aspiring actors and fans alike. There is no doubt that in the Indian film industry, it is not enough to only possess talent; it is the dedication, hard work and training that bring these performances to the next level.
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