Shape up like Sasha

Pavail Gulati and Shahid Kapoor

Featuring in an action fare comes with its demands. Pavail Gulati, who stars alongside Shahid Kapoor in Deva, knew he would have to bulk up to play a volatile cop in Rosshan Andrrews' directorial venture. The actor began his physical prep in January before the film went on floors, and has piled on eight kilos to attain a bulky physique. Gulati tells us, "I put on around three kilos of muscle and cut down on fat in the past two-and-a-half months. This has been extremely hard for me because I have a tendency to lose weight."

Under the supervision of trainer Amar Pendunkar, Gulati followed a strength training programme that would help him achieve a muscular look to match the on-screen presence of co-star Kapoor. The actor's workout regimen comprises compound exercises that include squats, deadlifts and bench presses, four times a week, balancing it with moderate cardio exercises on the remaining days. He says that Pendunkar has also put him on a calorie-surplus diet wherein he consumes 500 extra calories daily. "It's not just about physical transformation, but also about mental discipline and pushing beyond one's limits. I'm grateful for the opportunity to challenge myself," says the actor.