Jammwal is back in action
The trained martial arts actor talks fitness and stunts as he promotes his new film ‘Commando 3’
His biceps often speak louder than the dialogues in his films, but actor Vidyut Jammwal is determined to prove that there’s more to him than his bronzed torso and rippling muscles.
Today, Jammwal — who’s notorious for his quirky and impromptu fitness videos featuring gas cylinders as heavy weights — will return as the formidable Captain Karanvir Singh Dogra in Commando 3.
The third instalment of the series known for its adrenaline-pumped action sequences will see Jammwal on a mission to flush out those evil men from his society who try to disintegrate the social fabric of India.
“Commando 3 will unearth the reality of how every Indian thinks and their innate integrity in them.
“It’s a story of a nation getting united … It tell us that it’s not about being Hindu, Muslim or Christian.
“The importance of integrity in a nation is what the movie is about,” said Jammwal in an interview.
Before you head to the cinemas to see this beefy actor in action, we give you the lowdown of our chat …
Commando 3, directed by Aditya Datt, will reveal the humane side of the protagonist.
“Captain Karanvir Singh Dogra is a trained commando who’s trained mentally and physically … When you think of a commando, words like discipline and strict comes to mind. But he has a heart too. He knows how to love without expecting to be loved back. We have explored that in Commando 3,” said Jammwal.
Jammwal, who has been trained in the Kerala martial arts Kalaripayattu, insists on doing his own stunts in his films and that’s what sets him apart from his contemporaries. So does he ever get scared?
“The truth is that I get scared to do a lot of all the stunts. When they look at my sequences, it looks easy. I have to push myself too and there’s a lot of preparation that has gone into reaching that space,” said Jammwal.
Asked if he ever has an off-day at the gym and Jammwal gave a humane response.
“I don’t have off days per se. But if I don’t feel like working out, then I don’t work out. If I don’t feel like eating, I don’t eat. I listen to my body and I think that’s a major different
“I don’t have an off day, but I do feel lazy sometimes. And the truth is, if I don’t feel like working out, then I don’t work out. If I don’t feel like eating, I don’t eat. I listen to my body … If my body is craving something sweet or salty, I give it that ... But I don’t wait for off days. When I am training, I train hard and when I am holidaying, I holiday hard.”
The star has been sued several times for his impromptu fitness videos that involve gas cylinders. Apparently, not adding a disclaimer in his videos about forbidding his fans to replicate those stunts has landed him in deep trouble. His take? “Use your common sense”.
“I do not say anywhere in my videos that don’t try something … I do not believe in stopping anybody from working out. They are already stopping themselves in their head. But remember there are things that only 2 per cent of human being can do certain stunts. That’s your cue. You have common sense, so don’t go trying it.” The idea of using a cylinder as a workout tool stemmed from his need to experiment and push boundaries.
Jammwal was in Uzbekistan recently to film his new project Khuda Hafiz, directed by Faruk Kabir.
“It’s based on a real-life story of a couple from Saudi Arabia. The wife goes missing and it’s about how the man gets his wife back. It’s an amazing story,” said Jammwal.