‘You should always look the part’

The hit fantasy-thriller show Brahmarakshas changed things around for Parag Tyagi. He played the antagonist in the TV show and now he is thrilled to have bagged the role of the villian in a Pawan Kalyan film. An excited Parag says, “He is a big star and I feel lucky to get the chance to work with him in my debut Telugu film. He is a downto-earth actor and very hard-working. I learnt a lot while shooting with him. I play a guy who is well built and strong and of course, there are many bare bodied shots. And like they say, with a strong villain, the hero looks stronger.” Parag has no qualms about going bare bodied as he did it in Brahmarakshas too. A fitness freak, Parag worked on his physique to attain a “huge bulky look”. He worked hard on his body in the last few months. “When I work on a role, I look at the physical and the psychological aspects of the character. You should always look the part. I don’t look at the medium — film or TV — and I put in equal hard work in both. During Brahmarakshas, I had gained weight and put on 12kgs.”

I play a guy who is well built and strong... And like they say, with a strong villain, the hero looks stronger. PARAG TYAGI, ACTOR

The Kaala Teeka actor adds, “When I began working on the film’s role, my weight was 82kgs and I was asked to gain a muscular look. I gained 14kgs of muscles. I am 96kgs now and my fat percentage is less than 10. I would work out three times a day to achieve the built. I took a lot of care of my diet as well to get in shape the right way. My wife, Shefali, is very happy with the results (laughs); but more than anything, she is happy to see my dedication.” The Pavitra Rishta actor is hopeful that this movie will turn out to be a milestone for him. He says, “It’s a huge break and I hope it leads to more movies down south and even in Hindi.”