DECODING CELEBS’ BODY TRANSFORMATION
Changes when a film role demands, but Actors have to often undergo drastic physical rapid weight gain or loss is never a good idea in real life, say experts
Anjuri Nayar Singh
K angana Ranaut was lauded for her striking resemblance to late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Thalaivii. But, a lot has gone behind achieving this look. Taking to social media, the actor recently revealed that putting on and losing 20kg in a period of six months has left permanent stretch marks on her body. And such extreme transformations aren’t the healthiest, say experts.
“When actors have a tight span of time to lose or put on weight, they have to take extreme measures. They get on to extreme diets, almost on the verge of starving themselves. Their workout routines are hectic, since they have to keep shocking their body in terms of the activity. They work out twice or even three times a day. There is also external use of certain fat loss medicines and steroids, at some point,” reveals celebrity fitness trainer Rajiv
Mehra, who has worked with Ranveer Singh for the actor’s upcoming film ’83.
“When I was training Ranveer for ’83, it was after Simmba (2018) and he had bulked up a lot. But, to play Kapil Dev (cricketer), he had to lean down and have a physique which was more athletic… These constant changes in physique and transformations do not work well for the body. Akshay Kumar (actor) has remained consistent with his physique for so many years; he doesn’t go in for major transformations.” adds Mehra.
It is all a matter of how much time you have to prep, opines Samir Jaura, who trained actor Farhan Akhtar after Toofan .He adds, “Farhan was on a 4,000-5,000 calorie diet, which we brought down to 1,500. It is done over a period of time, it’s not like it happens overnight. Farhan had to lose 14-15kg and that took him three months.”
Martial arts and celebrity trainer Deepak Das is of the opinion that these transformations go against the work of Nature: “This weight is put on artificially. Some elements are recommended, which slows down your metabolic rate. But celebrities don’t want to talk about the side effects. Also, celebrities are very cautious about these side effects and take great care. They are very careful about their diets. For example, Tiger Shroff (actor) does not eat salt before a photoshoot.”
Echoing Das’ views, celebrity fitness expert Leena Mogre, who
Phas trained the likes of Madhuri Dixit, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, says: “Putting on that weight is also difficult, as they are not used to eating this much. And then, to lose it all is tough. But, they know the consequences and they have a proper plan of action on how to get back. They have dieticians, special cooked food and they weigh the amount of food that they eat on a weighing scale.”
One may assume celebs binge on their favourite food in order to put on weight for a film, but such isn’t the case! “They put on weight eating healthy things. You can’t just eat from outside and put on weight. They consume more carbs, potatoes... We also increase protein in their diet,” shares celebrity fitness and martial arts trainer Raakesh Yadav, who is currently training actor Disha Patani for
Ek Villain Returns and Shroff for Heropanti 2 as well as Ganpat.
Toofan
Expert guidance is imperative for any drastic transformation. “All actors have professionals to help them, even a morsel of food and water is monitored. But, one should not do it on their own,” asserts Jaura.
Drastic weight loss could lead to electrolyte imbalance, nutritional deficiency and thyroid complications. “When it comes to losing weight through exercise and nutritional diet, losing two to four kilos a month is okay,” says fitness expert Diksha Chhabra.
Internal organs have to be on an overdrive, if calories go into sudden surplus or deficit. “In a bid to quickly build muscle mass, people tend to go overboard on protein. This deals a blow to the kidneys, which are working overtime to flush out toxins,” says fitness expert Rajat Guha.