There is a lot riding on Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming releases – Phataa Poster Nikla Hero and Rambo Rajkumar. Especially the latter, which is directed by Prabhu Dheva, who has managed to revive many a sagging Bollywood career. An action-packed commercial film, Rambu Rajkumar sees Shahid revive his lucky Kaminey look — remember that shot in which he raced with galloping horses? The actor reportedly underwent a rigorous training for almost six months to master the build of a street-smart rogue. The idea was to make him look like a desi Stallone, say sources, as Shahid plays a local gangster who considers Rambo his role model. Prabhu Dheva’s brief to Shahid’s trainer: 'Make him look raw but not overly chiselled.’ The makers wanted to avoid the usual six-packs, that appear more cosmetically enhanced than something meticulously constructed. And Shahid trained in Mixed Martial Arts and Parkour to attain the required flexibility. When Mirror contacted Shahid’s trainer Abbas Ali, he admitted it was quite a challenge: “The biggest limitation was that Shahid is a vegetarian. I had to customise a diet in such a way that he gets the desired look, with a lot more focus on the regular dal, subzi, cottage cheese, brown rice, salad and yoghurt.”

Not just that, the actor who was shooting in Panchgani was required to start his day at 5 in the morning, followed by an intensive 90-minute workout session, after which he would drive to the location which was about two hours away from where the crew was put up. After finishing the day’s shoot, the actor would return to the hotel, and head straight to the gym, sweating out till 11 in the night. Since the cast was shooting in remote areas, there was absolutely no access to a well-equipped gym. To sort out this logistical problem, Prabhu Dheva ensured that whatever equipment was required by the trainer — from Olympic plates to dumbbells — was carried over in a separate van. But where exactly was the makeshift gym created? “We converted the wedding halls and conference rooms of the local hotels as they didn’t have any gym area. Shahid is such a flexible guy, he can even work out in a bus-stop; he had no reservations at all,” says Abbas. After every shot, the actor took a 15-minute break to cool down, as a continuous action scene meant a severe ligament tear or a bad muscle strain. But despite these measures, the actor ended up injuring his chin, which left him out of function for almost three days. “But he is extremely motivated. Even when he is not required, he comes to the gym by instinct. It’s a part of his system,” says an impressed Abbas. Rambo Rajkumar, shot extensively in Panchgani, Satara and Wai is expected to release in September and also features Sonakshi Sinha in a leading role.