Shraddha Kapoor’s look in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar has grabbed a lot of eyeballs ever since the film released. Be it sporting a bikini or a sari, Shraddha has turned heads with her fitness in the film which has just earned Rs 100 crore, and counting.The Telegraph chatted with celebrity trainer Maahek Nair who has been working with Shraddha for many years now on what she did to achieve her va-va-voom look in the film.

You have been working with Shraddha Kapoor for many years now. In what ways did she have to up her fitness game for Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar?

The character (Tinni) that Shraddha plays in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar is quite different from the ones she has played so far. The idea of her look in this film was that she had to look sexy and at the same time, she had to look very natural. Her physique couldn’t come across as being gym made, especially because she is shown to be a foodie in the film. This was a very hectic shoot. Shraddha shot in Delhi, Mumbai, Spain and Mauritius and she had a lot of dance numbers. She put in more than 100 per cent effort. We have done outdoor workouts at 5am, especially in the locations where the gyms were very small. She also had to stick to a strict nutrition plan, which was divided into two phases, and so was her fitness plan. In the first phase, there was a lot of dancing for long hours, which meant that she had to have a diet of moderate carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It was largely a vegetarian, and mostly vegan, diet. Shraddha doesn’t like eating a lot of nonvegetarian food, but she does like having eggs sometimes. At this time, we put her on tofu sticks, veggies, salads.... Phase two was where she did the bikini scenes and her abdomen had to look really lean and there had to be more definition in her muscles. We had to get the best body out of her. She followed 15-16 hours of intermittent fasting. At that time, her diet was all about high-fibre and moderate protein and lesser carbs and fats. She had a lot of Buddha bowls, salads, vegetable soup, acai and blueberry bowls.... The diet also involved having a good amount of fluids, especially electrolytes, because she was spending eight or nine hours practising and then shooting the song called Show me the thumka. It was peak summer when she shot that song. She had huge blisters on her feet then because she had to wear heels and dance. But she always put her best foot forward. I am really proud to be her coach. People are saying she’s looking stunning in this film, much more than she ever has. The great thing is that she’s looking athletic in the film but not muscular.

Is this the maximum she has pushed herself for a film?

She did push a lot for Street Dancer (2020) too. Even in that film, there was a lot of dancing and she had to look really lean with a ripped abdomen. But yes, she did put in more effort for Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar because this was a more strenuous shoot with a very tight schedule.

Has Shraddha always been this disciplined?

Her focus has definitely evolved over time. She is a very big foodie. She loves ghar ka khana... she is happiest with her dal, rice and pickle. But whenever she has a role where she knows she has to look a certain way, she knows how to abstain. I have been training her for 11 years now and even when she’s not shooting, she is quite disciplined. She eats dal-chawal and roti-sabzi but everything is in moderation. She will never overdo anything, and that is something that she has inculcated in her regimen over time. She has learnt the value of options and portions in her diet. If she wants to eat cake or pizza, she will have only one slice. That’s the kind of default lifestyle she has got into now. Even otherwise, she is a very portion-controlled eater. There is a scene in Tu Jhoothi Main Makaar where she had to eat a burger. Because the scene involved a lot of takes, she would munch on the burger for the scene and as soon as the take was over, she would spit it out. So she was really, really disciplined during this film. And I think the results show up on screen very well.

Maahek Nair with Shraddha

Would you say that the key to fitness is eating in moderation? A lot of people deprive themselves...

I am strictly against fad diets. Eating in moderation and with portion control is what I strongly believe in. But that doesn’t mean one eats junk and processed food all the time. Following a nutritious diet is key. A lot of people deprive themselves for a long time and then suddenly lose control and indulge in all kinds of wrong food. They start bingeing. It’s not that Shraddha doesn’t eat things like chocolate. But she will probably eat two pieces of 85 per cent dark chocolate. There are always options for everything. Eating in controlled portions and choosing the right options eventually translates into a healthy lifestyle. Even going to the gym and killing yourself for two-three hours is not something that I endorse. It’s all about being consistent. Go to the gym four-five times a week for about 45-50 minutes. It’s about being healthy rather than having a certain body type. You will anyway achieve a certain body type or fat percentage if you are consistent.

When clients come to you and ask you for a body like a certain celebrity, how do you react?

It is possible. We are known for being able to transform bodies. But our emphasis is always on being healthy. Whether you can achieve a certain body type or not depends on your body and your metabolism. So when people come to us, we tell them what kind of time it will take them to achieve that.

Weight loss is very easy. If you put someone on a calorie-restricted diet and train consistently, they can become lean. But that is not the concern... the concern is to become fit, to become healthier. At the same time, we have to keep in mind that they have no nutrition deficiency. It has to be a plan which is customised for each person because every body is not the same. Some people show very good results within just two weeks of training but if someone’s metabolism is really bad and they have indulged in various kinds of crash diets, it can take them quite some time to lose weight and get healthier.

I have had people coming in and saying that they have eaten only idlis for the last 60 days, and I am like, ‘What is wrong with you?!’ Depriving yourself of essential nutrients over a period of time results in a metabolism which is sluggish. A proper diet is one which is a combination of good fats, proteins and carbohydrates in moderation. Getting fit should be a lifestyle modification and not a small-time goal.

Who else do you work with?

We have worked with a lot of celebrities for different kinds of transformations. We have worked with Sushant Singh Rajput. Aditya Roy Kapur worked with us during Fitoor. Apart from Shraddha, Maniesh Paul has been with us for eight-nine years. For certain projects, we have worked with Kartik (Aaryan), Abhishek Bachchan.... I am also working with Palak Tiwari for the last one year.

How have you seen actors’ approach to fitness evolve over time?

Earlier, the trend was to go to a normal gym and pump weights and run on a treadmill. Now I see that everybody wants to be lean but also fit at the same time. Earlier it was about getting a six-pack or a sizezero body. Now it’s about getting fit. For me, fitness is about being flexible and having strength, mobility and endurance. When I talk about flexibility, it would mean being able to do a split. Endurance would mean being able to run 2km at a medium pace. Strength would mean being able to do a push-up or a pull-up and that is a test of your muscular strength. Having mobility entails how well you can hold a plank or having shoulder mobility. Tiger (Shroff) is one actor whose fitness emphasises a lot on flexibility. He does a lot of other fitness programmes and not just lift weights.

Pilates is also big among celebrities today...

Yes it is. Shraddha did train in Pilates during Tu Jhoothi Main Makaar. Pilates gives more length to your muscles and more elasticity. It’s a great programme that more and more people are getting into.