The brawny men of Marathi cinema

While Bollywood actors are charging towards the eight and 10- pack abs look for their films, their Marathi counterparts are not far behind either. Quite a few Marathi actors will be sporting six-pack abs and fitter physique in their upcoming projects. We spoke to a few of them about their fitness and diet regimens.

Shreyas Talpade
Film: Baji
Shreyas recently finished shooting for his Marathi superhero film 'Baji'. The actor, who will be seen sporting a macho image and doing a lot of stunts in the movie, put in two months of rigorous training to get in shape. Shreyas said, “In February I suffered a shoulder injury because of which I was not exercising and started working out for the film only in August.” To achieve his six-pack look, Shreyas followed a daily fitness routine comprising of pull-ups, push-ups, and Surya Namaskars. “I have also been following a diet of boiled vegetables, chicken and egg whites. There are two ways of doing it — taking the easy way with supplements or the difficult route. I preferred the latter to make it last long. I worked out for one-and-a-half to two hours daily and now it has become a part of my routine. Achieving a good physique and maintaining it requires a lot of hard work. People’s perception changes if along with talent, you also have a good physique.”

Chinmay Udgirkar
Film: Director Viraj Raje’s untitled next
Chinmay plays the lead character of a village youth in Raje’s upcoming untitled comedy which is a tribute to Dada Kondke. Chinmay, who will start shooting for the film in mid December, said, “My character is shown to be fond of body building. So sporting a burly physique was a requirement of the script.” Chinmay has been following a five day heavy weight and one day functional training routine for the past seven months to achieve his target. “As I have a slender frame, my trainer advised me to first gain muscle and then cut down the fat percentage. A lot of discipline in the sleeping and eating pattern is required for achieving a six-pack and I have been doing that. A diet comprising of low carbs, high protein, nutrition supplements and a good water intake has helped.” He added, “I wanted to do a role which would challenge me as an actor. We have usually only seen Bollywood actors working on such fitness targets for their roles. But I feel Marathi actors are equally capable and more scripts giving us the scope to showcase our physique should be penned.”

Bhushan Pradhan
Films: TimePass 2 and Time Bara Vait
'Timepass 2' will see Bhushan transform into a handsome and muscular young man. And 'Time Bara Vait' will showcase him as a brawny village youth. The actor is currently working on acquiring an athletic build for his roles. Talking about his fitness regime Bhushan said, “I have always been fitness conscious and that has given me a good base. For the last two months, I have been working on my muscles, with a mix of weight training and cardio. I believe that six-pack abs are primarily made in the kitchen, so I am following a one-cereal meal plan, drinking lots of water and avoiding tea, coffee, junk, fried and sweets.” He added, “With cinema becoming realistic, the current trend globally is that of showing a lean and strong hero as compared to a beefed-up one.”

Pushkar Jog
Films: Zabardast 2 and Satish Rajwade’s untitled next
In two of his upcoming projects, this actor-director will be seen sporting a chiselled look. While in 'Zabardast 2', slated to go on floors in March, Pushkar will be seen essaying a superhero. In Rajwade’s untitled next, shooting for which starts in January 2015, Pushkar plays a well-built cop. The actor said, “Having a lean and good physique was a prime requirement for both my characters. As the script also includes a few shirtless scenes, the directors decided to allow me ample time to get into the required shape.” Pushkar has been working on his body for the past five months and has lost almost nine kilos. Saying how acquiring six-pack abs is quite a challenge, he said, “A daily workout on core muscles which includes circuit training and cardio coupled with a nutritional portion diet has given me a fit body. But achieving six-pack abs in the right manner i.e. without using any artificial means is quite tough. One has to undergo a complete lifestyle change for that.” To lend sharpness to his physique, Pushkar will go on a ‘no salt no water’ diet right before the shoot, as suggested by his trainer.

Adinath Kothare
Film: Zhapatlela 2
For 'Zapatlela 2', Adinath sported a chiselled look and six-pack abs. He had said, “I have been working out regularly for the past two years and have achieved the six-pack abs target in one month. I achieved the look without supplements or steroids and instead with a proper workout and diet.”

Rajesh Shringarpure
Film: Swarajya - Marathi paul Padate Pudhe
Rajesh Shringarpure’s beefed-up appearance for 'Swarajya—Marathi Paul Padate Pudhe' made quite a mark. He had said, “On signing the film I realised that I had to give a topless shot. It was then that I decided to develop six-pack abs. A workout comprising of weights and cardio and avoiding junk helped me achieve the look.”