The man on a mission: Ex-Bengal cricketer Ranadeep, 40, is a certified trainer from the National Strength and Conditioning Association of America. Clinical exercise, apart from strength and conditioning, is his area of specialisation. Ranadeep has trained the Indian A Cricket Team, the East Bengal football team, the Future Hope rugby team and city golfers. Now, Tolly stars are seeking him out to look fit and fine.
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SWASTIKA MUKHERJEE
Swastika wants to look firm and toned. She wants to lose weight from her hips. She also has a specific demand for a film where she will be playing an airhostess (Kamaleshwar Mukherjee’s debut film Uro Chithi, which rolls on the floors from December).
Workout regimen: Swastika trains five days a week for about an hour. We are focussing a lot on the lower body, especially the lower part of her legs. I am doing more cardio and making her breathless. Basically, I am just trying to get her fit. The weight wouldn’t be a problem once she is fit. Weight loss is very cosmetic. There has to be a glow on your face and if you exercise properly, there will be weight loss and you will also look good. The most important part is to maintain your look after knocking off the weight. Swastika had knocked off weight before but couldn’t keep it because she didn’t do it the right way.
Diet: I suggested that she go off starch. No rice, roti or bread for Swastika. She has porridge, hard cheese or egg-white omelette and a fruit for breakfast. Then, chicken or fish or paneer and a bowl of curd for both lunch and dinner.
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Plus, PROSENJIT
Prosenjit trained with me for about a week and then discontinued because he couldn’t make time. Prosenjit told me that he needed to look lean for the role of a fakir he has in a film by Goutam Ghose (Moner Manush). The puffy look would definitely not be good for a fakir who doesn’t get two square meals a day! So he was very specific that he didn’t want the muscular look. Prosenjit wanted to look lean and toned. He wanted to be fit, so that he could act for a longer time and be able to do demanding roles. He is very strict with his diet. He doesn’t drink too much and it shows on his skin.
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ARPITA
Arpita started working out in March as she was making a comeback to films after a long time. When I first saw her, she had what we call ‘skinny fat’. Her role in Ekti Tarar Khonje demanded that she looked nice and toned.
Workout regimen: Not too much cardio for Aprita. We did multi-joint exercises which would get her breathless but we didn’t stress too much on these kinds of exercises. We rather did strength building, multi-joint full body exercises like squats, dead lift, lunges, clean and presses, which involve the whole body. Only sometimes would I make her do different exercises for the upper body and the lower body, back to back.
Diet: I had suggested protein shake but Arpita doesn’t like it though she forces herself to have it during the shoot sometimes. She has switched to five clean, small meals throughout the day. It’s fish or chicken curry and rice for lunch. Dinner is light — salads with maybe a bowl of soup and sauteed vegetables. Earlier she would only have tea and biscuits in the evening. I have asked her to have that along with something more nutritious, like milk and muesli or grilled paneer.
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RAIMA SEN
Raima trained with me for several days at Tollygunge Club. She was training with weights anyway in Mumbai, so with her I used to follow a complex routine, which is doing five-six exercises back to back with dumbbells in your hand. So you do one exercise and move on to the other but the dumbbell doesn’t move from your hand. It’s very taxing for your cardio-vascular system and your muscles.
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MUMTAZ SORCAR
Mumtaz has an athlete’s body; she never told me that she wanted to look skinny.
Workout regimen: I make her lift a lot of weights as she is athletic. She does one exercise after another without rest, followed by running, jumps and hops. The idea is to challenge her metabolically. But I don’t give her too much time for weights because she might just fill up. I make her work fast.
Diet: For breakfast, it’s oatmeal porridge with skimmed milk or ordinary milk or two-three egg whites with a slice of whole-grain toast without butter and a fruit. She also has a fruit mid-morning. Lunch comprises sprouts and chicken or fish. She has grilled paneer or nuts in the evening. For dinner, sprout salads, a clear soup or sauteed vegetables are the options.
My pick of fit Bolly stars:
- Milind Soman
- Dino Morea
- Kunal Kapoor
- Zeenat Aman
- Neetu Singh (now)
- Bipasha Basu
Tips for actors to stay in shape during outdoor shoots:
- 1) Do Surya Namaskar
- 2) Do Yoga
- 3) Carry a skipping rope, Theraband and a pair of trainers (jogging shoes)
- 4) Have protein shake and cereal bars when hungry
