Now that you’ve gone bare-chested, will you ever do a full monty?
No. I will not do anything I’m not comfortable doing. I know I’d be uncomfortable doing certain things so I don’t do them. I feel the same way about lovemaking and kissing scenes. I have never done a kissing scene before and I wouldn’t do it even today.
How open were you with the idea of going bare-chested?
Farah (Khan) and I discussed my look in the song Dard-E-Disco but I told her I’d shoot for it only if I managed to build a presentable body. That was the understanding.
Om Shanti Om is a film is about stars in 2007-08, where everybody has a good body so it’s a part of the character.
No reservations about going bare-chested?
No. The idea was to have the body looking good and everybody took a decision on that. They said it looked pleasant and nice, added to the film and I got into my character. We all agreed it was fine.
So how did you do it?
I took a couple of months off, worked out every day, controlled my diet, had lots of aminos (proteins) and got the six-pack abs. Aminos are purer form of proteins which help in building muscles faster.
Did you feel awkward while shooting the song?
Though it’s Farah’s film and my home production, I have never done this kind of thing before, so initially I felt a bit odd. I was shy at first but then people joked about it. I had shown Hrithik some pictures and he was very encouraging, so I was fine. I am shy of dancing too.
How long did it take you to build your body?
It took me two and a half to three months. I have been working out for the last three years. My body didn’t need to look round and muscular. It just needed to look lean. I worked on my abs in London quite a bit and controlled my food. It’s very important to control your diet and fortunately for me, I am not a foodie. I have always eaten simple from childhood. I eat grilled food with minimum oil or roti, some rice and tandoori food.
Will you hold on to your abs now?
Yes. I would like to retain this buffed up body and abs. I am too old to be trying to build up muscle. During the shooting of Chak De, I played hockey. Now I have started playing soccer. Games are the best way to keep a body like this.
With your new body do you consider yourself hot?
I have never thought of myself like that. I am not vain. Many people thought I looked sexy in Chak De but that doesn’t mean I will sport the look forever. If a look works for a film it’s fine. I won’t do photo-sessions or ads without my clothes because those are not roles I am playing. Being bare-chested is not a part of my USP.
How did Gauri and your children like your new body?
They like it. My son (Aryan) likes it a lot. In fact, he has a body like that – well-built and lean as he’s into sports.
There will be comparisons with Salman.
I went and showed my body to Salman. He’s encouraged and helped me a lot. Initially, when I started exercising, I would ask Prashant to take tips from Salman. He tells me what to do.
Sanju and Hrithik have also given me lots of tips. There can be no comparison with Salman. He’s the godfather of bodybuilding — rather, the Dadasaheb Phalke of body builders in India, as he made the country aware of body- building. I am not as good as he is. Salman’s got a fantastic physique.
Which actors ‘bare’ well?
Salman, Hrithik, John Abraham and Arjun Rampal. They have been doing it for years and comfortably.
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