Do you know Aamir Khan's diet plan to get lean for Lal Singh Chaddha?

Aamir Khan

Inarguably the only one among the current crop of superstars to have repeatedly and unabashedly given body transformational roles a green light, Aamir Khan is set to whip himself into shape yet again for Lal Singh Chaddha. The desi remake of Tom Hanks-starrer Forrest Gump, mid-day learns, will see Khan shave off 20 kilos under the guidance of nutritional biochemist, Dr Nikhil Dhurandhar.

During Dhurandhar's book launch in the city yesterday, Khan revealed, "I play a young man in the movie, so I need to lose 20 kilos. I have already lost three-and-a-half kilos in two weeks under the guidance of Dr Dhurandhar." The actor is currently following a vegetarian diet.

Known for his physical transformational roles, Hanks had lost 30 pounds in 1993-94 for his films including Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994, above), after previously packing on the kilos for A League Of Their Own (1992)

From playing an ageing father and former wrestler in Dangal (2016), to a pirate in Thugs Of Hindostan (2018), Khan has been feeding hungry cinephiles with an assortment of creative roles over the years. His physicality, attained under the guidance of Dr Dhurandhar during these films, must also do justice to his act.

The dietician tells mid-day, "A diet doesn't only focus on calories, but also caters to other aspects and requirements. For Dangal, he wanted to retain his muscle [mass while losing weight]. But now, he doesn't want to gain muscle for this film. So, the protein intake is different as well." It is this variation in the demand of his characters that had Dhurandhar put Khan on a vegan diet during Dangal, and a vegetarian one now.

Dr Nikhil Dhurandhar. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

"I have to ask Aamir what kind of food he likes, and then plan his chart. It is a personalised chart which is dictated by the person's lifestyle. Aamir likes foods like daal, sabzi and roti when in India. Since he's on a vegetarian diet, I recommend that he has protein supplements now," says the nutritionist. Khan seconds his opinion, stating that his diet is also altered when travelling abroad on vacations. "I may not be able to access the same foods that I can in India, or have them measured before they are cooked. So, he gives me a diet which is easier to follow when I am travelling."

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