At one level, Dhurandhar: The Revenge is a revenge story. A young man, Jaskirat, returns home to find his family destroyed — his father killed, his sister raped and murdered (Photo: Dhurandhar/Mustafa Ahmed/Instagram)Ranveer Singh’s trainer and Dhurandhar co-actor, Mustafa Ahmed aka Rizwan, recently shared details about Singh’s transformation to play Hamza in the Aditya Dhar film.“We used to practice Kalari for at least 1.5-2 hours every morning so that his body is mobile. He doesn’t look stiff in the film. His body doesn’t look tight. Usually, when people bulk up, they look stiff. That also takes away from the performance as an actor because you don’t flow freely. So, we were very particular… he has to look big, like a beast, but he can’t seem slow or stiff. Then we used to do weight training in the evening for 1.5 hours or 1 hour with dumbbells and bars. We worked on the machines very little. Which is what helped him to be that big. We packed on a good 10 kgs in about 6 weeks. We had very little time. We had 4-5 weeks of just prep work, and then we had 1 week for travel and transition. When we met, he was 77 kilos, he was 87 when the film started,” Mustafa told Filmygyan.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.Praising Singh’s relentless efforts to play an Indian spy, Mustafa, who trained him for Padmaavat as well as Gully Boy and has known him for 10 years, added, “He really trained hard. He ate a lot. He was eating about 4,000-4,500 calculated calories a day. People think food is good. But when you are eating only chicken and rice or some mutton and rice, the same food, and two protein shake smoothies with 750 calories, it takes about 45 minutes. One meal itself takes 45 minutes. It is not easy. It’s not that you can eat burgers and pizzas to make such a body. But he did it. When he makes up his mind, he is like a machine.” Diet was carefully planned (Photo: Freepik)While emphasising that he needed to be careful about Singh’s diet as the latter is a foodie, Mustafa mentioned, “He does need to take care of his diet because he is a foodie. I had to make sure I checked with his team… he is a treat to train. One of the few people who is always willing to push and also loves to weight train. He enjoys himself in the gym. Sometimes, I have to tell him to control his energy. I become a bad person. I pull him away from people during training. In Padmaavat, he was 83-84 kilos, but for Dhurandhar’s Hamza, there was a lot of muscle in the extra 3-4 kilos. Though it sounds small, it is a lot. Hamza was massive.”Revealing that Singh’s weight loss to play the other character, Jaskirat Singh Rangi, was his own effort, Mustafa said, “He did it on his own with some other trainer. He is good at losing weight. He did that process with me from Padmaavat to Gully Boy. He controls his diet. He knows the process.”Taking a cue from the trainer’s revelation, let’s understand all about the calculated, strategic process of weight transformation.Story continues below this adConcurring with Mustafa’s stance that such transformations require discipline, not just overeating, consultant dietitian and fitness trainer Garima Goyal noted that the biggest myth people have is that actors just eat anything to gain weight. “In reality, structured nutrition plays the biggest role. Calorie surplus is planned carefully, protein intake is maintained, and training is aligned with the desired body type. Random weight gain would only increase fat without giving that powerful on-screen presence,” said Goyal.From a dietitian’s lens, such transformations also come with challenges. “Rapid weight gain can affect metabolism, gut health, and even insulin sensitivity if not handled properly. That’s why these plans are usually time-bound and closely monitored. The post-shoot phase, where the actor has to come back to baseline, is equally demanding,” said Goyal.Also Read | Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Shriram Nene sets fitness goals, shares picture of himself ‘just pedalling my way to a happier heart’It’s always a combination of training precision, dietary discipline, and mental focus. “Body transformation is not about extremes, it’s about intention. Whether someone wants to lose weight or gain it, the approach has to be structured, sustainable, and aligned with their health, not just aesthetics.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.