He lost 12kg to look convincing as Onler, the supportive husband of boxer M.C. Mary Kom, in the biopic. Delhi boy Darshan Kumar feels his struggle to be credible in his role has paid off, especially when women come up to him to say he’s an ideal husband.
Kumar had to go on a strict grilled chicken and oil-free fish protein diet for three months and have seven small meals every day to prepare for Mary Kom.
“I ended up looking so gaunt that I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror. But the effort seems worth it when women come up to me to say they want a husband like me. That feels good.
“It means my character works within the film’s context. Now I need to regain some weight as I’ve become too gaunt. But I want to keep my six-pack,” Kumar said.
He made extensive preparations to look convincing as Onler, paired opposite National award-winning actress Priyanka Chopra.
Theatre stint
“It was a challenge. But I was ready for it. I’ve been doing theatre for 10 years. My acting guru is Naseeruddin Shah. Everything I know about acting is what I’ve learnt by watching him. At his age, he is so energetic and passionate about his work. He was my inspiration for all the hard work I put in to play Onler in Mary Kom.”
On Teacher’s Day (September 5), when the film hit the screens, Kumar showed Mary Kom to his guru Shah. “I waited for Naseer saab [sir] to see my film. I’ve trained under him for 10 years. What better Teacher’s Day gift for me than to show my labour of love to my guru?”
Kumar says he likes to spend time with creative people. “Whether it is Naseer sir or Sanjay Bhansali sir, just being with them is such a learning experience. I feel like a student whenever I’m with them.”
Meanwhile, the young actor has also completed work on Navdeep Singh’s NH10, where he is cast opposite Anushka Sharma.
Not willing to divulge much about his role in NH10, Kumar said: “All I can tell you is that I play a character very different from the one in Mary Kom. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In NH10, I am aggressive, insensitive and insufferable. Not the kind of guy any girl would want to marry.”
So who’s Kumar marrying in real life? “At the moment, there is no one in my life. I’m married only to my work,” he said.