Madhavan is not the first actor to transform himself for the sake of a role in an ambitious film. tabloid! looks at five top actors who underwent radical changes physically to play their roles convincingly.
Aamir Khan
Film: Dangal
What did he do: He put on 25kgs to play a Haryana-based wrestler.
“I began eating everything other than eggs and chicken in large quantities,” said Khan.
Priyanka Chopra
Film: Mary Kom
What did she do: Chopra is not a fan of working out in the gym, but she made an exception while preparing for her role as a boxer in Mary Kom. According to her trainer, Chopra did two intense workouts in day, which included lots of stretching, high-repetitive training to increase her stamina and core-strengthening workouts. Plus, she had to alter her diet to include proteins.
Farhan Akhtar
Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
What did he do: Akhter trained for 18 months to look like running champion Milkha Singh. He ate six-seven protein-rich meals a day and worked out four hours daily. Think an hour of jogging, 20 minutes of stretching or cycling per session, squats and endurance-building exercises.
Vidya Balan
Film: The Dirty Picture
What did she do: Balan put on 12kgs to play the role of a troubled South Indian siren. She was reportedly on a diet of bananas, cream biscuits, burgers, pastas and chocolates.
Hrithik Roshan
Film: Bang Bang
What did he do: Roshan hired trainer Kris Gethin and dedicated four days in a week for intense exercises. Think 500 crunches in the morning and strength training in the evening. His workouts lasted more than 90 minutes. Circuit training with weights and focusing on two body parts in a single session was one of his methods of getting lean and mean.