Mumbai, Aug 5 Actor Vaibhav Raj Gupta underwent a gruelling physical and mental transformation to play Vikram Singh, a hardened cop in Netflix’s psychological crime thriller "Mandala Murders".
Vaibhav opened up about his nine-month-long gruelling transformation that pushed him to the edge both physically and psychologically through an Instagram post.
Sharing his journey of "Vaibhav to Vikram", he revealed that director Gopi Puthran had a clear vision for the character of Vikram Singh. Vaibhav wrote, “He (director) told me, ‘I want my Vikram to look like Marv from Sin City—sharp, brooding, dangerous.’”
To achieve the desired look, Vaibhav trained rigorously at the Yash Raj Films gym under the expert supervision of fitness trainer Nikesh.
The physically taxing regimen included at least three hours of training every day, with a minimum of 30 reps per set—“no excuses.”
A six-month training schedule was followed by three months of strict no-carb nutrition diet to cut and define muscle mass.
“I’m not kidding—it was the hardest part of this entire journey,” Vaibhav shared. “I had to eat very specific food, follow a controlled diet, and stick to a routine that broke me down before it built me up,” Vaibhav added.
According to the 'Gullak' actor, the commitment and mutual respect turned into the fuel behind his resolve. “He turned this boy into a man with muscles and a stronger mindset,” he shared, showing gratitude to this trainer.
"I decided I am gonna give my 200% because he was giving me 200%. Sir look where I have reached because of your training and the way you have shaped me for Vikram Singh," Vaibhav penned.
Crediting his team, his trainer, and the studio for believing in him to play a role, totally in contrast to his earlier image, he added, “Nikesh sir—thank you for shaping me. And thank you @yrf and @yogendramogre for providing everything I needed to become Vikram Singh. This time in the gym will always stay in my heart.”
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