How Amit Sadh bulked up in three months for India Strikes - 10 Days

Amit Sadh with trainer Rakesh Udiyar

His successful web outing Breathe behind him, Amit Sadh is now hard at work for Applause Entertainment's drama, India Strikes - 10 Days, which is based on the 2016 Uri attacks. Apart from getting into the mindspace of the character, the actor had to bulk up to slip into the role of Major Mike Tango, the mission leader of the Indian Army's Special Forces team that conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps along the LoC.

"It was a conscious decision to show the physicality that Special Force officers have," begins Sadh. Training rigorously under the guidance of Rakesh Udiyar - the man who helped Aamir Khan pile on the kilos for Dangal - the actor recounts how he went from a lean 72 kilos to 90 kilos for the Raj Acharya-directed drama. The key, he says, was to stick to his regimen of body weight training and cardio. "Over a period of three months, I would do fasted cardio - which is essentially working out on an empty stomach - every morning, and then work on my abs. Post that, I used to go back home, have two meals and then return for another round of cardio and weight training," says Sadh, adding that kick-boxing too featured prominently in his routine.

His dietary modifications implied that he had to cut down on sugar entirely. Sadh says the demanding workout regimen, coupled with the dietary changes, often took a toll on him mentally. "There were days when I would be snappy when a workout session was not to my liking. I went through mood swings; there were days when I went back home wondering if all my efforts were worth it. But I channelled it in a positive way, I went to my next gym session and worked harder."

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