Vicky Kaushal's Transformation for the Chhaava Movie:
Vicky Kaushal's film 'Chhaava' is set to be released on February 14. In this movie, Vicky portrays the role of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second king of the Maratha Empire and the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji. To prepare for this role, Vicky dedicated considerable attention to physical fitness. He increased his weight by 25 kg, significantly enlarging his physique, which was essential for the character of a warrior. During this transformation, Vicky endured a severe injury to his hand, rendering him unable to lift even a 200 ml water bottle, but he soon recovered. Coach Tejas Lalvani, who trained Vicky for this movie, spoke to Aajtak.in about his diet, workout, and injury. Let's delve into the details...
How was Vicky's look planned for the Chhaava movie?
Tejas shared, 'I've been training Vicky since around 2021. He always had a basic body structure. However, when the initial meeting for Chhaava took place, we needed Vicky to appear larger to effectively portray Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Hence, our focus was on making Vicky appear more robust. We increased his weight by about 25 kg, and during the film, he weighed 100 kg.'
What was Vicky Kaushal's workout and physical activity like?
Source: aajtak
Tejas added, 'The film involved a lot of physical activity. Building the body was one aspect, but he also acquired skills such as horse riding, sword fighting, staff wielding, and learning to use various weapons from that era. For the first 3 to 4 months, when we only had preparation time, the workouts remained unchanged. The same exercises, five training sessions a week. It was vital to focus on diet and consistency. As other activities commenced and shooting began, the workouts were tailored daily according to the day's exertion to prevent over-exertion.'
'Workouts were planned by understanding the following day's activities to minimize risk and avoid injury since this picture and character were critical. Thus, we constantly adjusted the workouts.'
What was Vicky's diet like?
Source: aajtak
Tejas explained, 'Vicky's diet for the entire movie was formulated by Chris Gethin, a famous trainer. Initially, Vicky consumed approximately 3000 calories divided across six meals. This intake increased to 6000 calories and then tapered off as he needed to reduce body fat percentage.'
'Each meal was nutritionally balanced, emphasizing protein, carbs, and fats. Protein shakes were also part of Vicky's diet, along with eggs, chicken, fish, and mutton as protein sources. Carbs included oats, rice, and potatoes—all standard sources with calories fluctuating as needed.'
Vicky's hand injury
Source: aajtak
Talking about Vicky's injury, Tejas said, 'A crucial part of the process was Vicky suffering an injury just before shooting the first body scene. It wasn't a minor injury—it was a rare issue I had to research thoroughly. With the aid of Dr. Ivan, Vicky remarkably recovered in one to one-and-a-half months and returned to the gym.'
'The first day back at the gym post-injury was tough—he could lift 15-20 kg dumbbells with the right hand but couldn't even hold a 200 ml water bottle with the left. Yet, Vicky's dedication and discipline facilitated his recovery. He gradually progressed from performing six repetitions with a 200 ml bottle to more, complementing my programing with consistent diet support. This helped him surpass the recovery phase and resumed delivering optimal action sequences and gym performances.'
