“It’s not just a physical transformation but a mental transition too” Sushant Singh Rajput On His Training For ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’

Did you see it? DID YOU SEE IT? Allow me to smack you if you’re wondering “what?”! The teaser poster of Neeraj Pandey’s biopic ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ is what has got us reeling like a mad maniac. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who’ll be seen portraying the role of the Indian skipper, shared the first look on Twitter yesterday. And here’s what it looks like.

Pensive, yes. But the similarities between Dhoni and Rajput are uncanny! Goes without saying the PK star went through rigorous training to look like a mirror reflection of the Captain. Here’s a quick look at his prep for the movie.

Till He Gets It Right

The actor had divided his workout among a number of routines right from ballet to cricket. His training continued for months, of which six weeks were documented in a video series called ‘Till I get It Right’. The series contains all of the actor’s workout sessions spread in between four parts.

“The first week shows a slightly heavyweight Sushant working towards losing every inch,” says Praveen. “The second week has him learning ballet. We are yet to film the third and fourth weeks. The video will end with him having flat abs.”

Have a look at the video and tell us if you got some fitness goals

“It’s not just a physical transformation but a mental transition too,” says Sushant. “I am doing things that I never thought I could do. I am also reading a lot of fitness books, watching videos and pushing the envelope every day.”

“I have started viewing myself in a completely different light from the cricket-obsessed teenager, Ishaan Bhatt of Kai Po Che!” he admits.

The Training

Sushant’s trainer, Praveen Nair, says that his workout regime for the biopic was a lot similar to the one he’s followed for Kai Po Che!

The routine included a 2-hour cardio session in the morning, followed by cricket practice at Dadar Gymkhana and weight training in the evening. Apart from these, the actor attended ballet lessons with Fernando Aguilera and sports drills like viper, ladder, slam ball and TRX in the garden. Sushant has a parachute tied to his back during workouts to stop him from sprinting away.

*wipes off sweat*

No Six-Pack

Throughout the regime there hasn’t been any mention of words like pack, washboard or ripped. So why weren’t Sushant and his trainer aiming for six-packs?

Well according to Praveen, to carry off MS Dhoni, Sushant does not require a six-pack, as he is not going to take his shirt off in the movie (of course, it’d been a completely different scenario had Mr. Pandey chosen a different Indian skipper).

Rajput’s trainer further explains that the Captain has a “generous butt, a bigger back, strong hamstrings and forearms”. Clearly not a six-pack guy Dhoni.

Directed by Neeraj Pandey, the biopic, which is one of the most awaited ones (ever), will also have actors Kiara Advani as Dhoni’s wife and debutant Disha Patani as one of Dhoni’s alleged love interests in the movie. The Indian Cricket team will also be rather star-studded with names like John Abraham and Fawad Khan by the on-screen skipper’s side. The movie is slated to release on September 2, 2016.