It’s never been easy being an A-list actor in top form. Box office form aside, the actors themselves have to endure the physical wear and tear of the job while preparing for roles or kicking their way through action sequences. From high-pressure stunts to looming deadlines and multi-crore commitments, the 40+ mega stars of the industry are putting themselves through gruelling schedules and strenuous exercises to deliver believable performances for their fans. Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have over the years gone the extra mile for their action roles, without caring about physical consequences, while continuing to wear their aches and niggles as battle honours.
HRITIK ROSHAN
He is known for his chiselled looks and sculpted pecs but Hrithik Roshan has been to hell and back with his health scares. The actor sustained a head injury on the sets of Bang Bang that left him with a blood clot in his brain. What’s worse is that he didn’t even know that the clot was the cause of his frequent headaches and had dismissed the 30-feet drop into water sequence as an unrelated matter until he got his brain checked.
Recounting his nightmare, Hrithik says, “I had medical personnel stationed on the sets of Krishh 3. I had a hole in my head, hence it wasn’t easy for me to do death-defying action scenes. I wasn’t confident if I could pull it off. I had to go for check-ups from time to time. Illness can demotivate an actor, especially if you have an action hero or a superhero image. I even had to struggle hard to get back in shape.”
Hrithik isn’t new to injuries on the job. Prior to his brain injury, he suffered a slip disc during the shooting of Agneepath in a scene where he had to lift a fighter who weighed about 110 kg. Stuck at home for two months, he gained 15 kg as doctors advised him to not hit the gym.
The fitness freak in him started to stress over the predicament as he was set to start shooting for Krrish 3, a superhero film that celebrated physical prowess. He got noted trainer Kris Gethin to train him and within 12 weeks he was back in shape.
Even in 2007 when he sustained a major knee injury while jumping from one car to another during the shoot of Kites, he had to spend two months recovering from the surgery he underwent in the US. Apart from injuries sustained on the job, fitness trainers caution against the use of steroids to help action heroes bulk up. “Definitely there are side-effects of steroids. They might help build muscles but in the long run they have adverse effect on your bones, eyesight and even causes hair fall,” says a celebrity trainer.
SHAH RUKH KHAN
It all started in 1996 when Shah Rukh fractured three ribs while shooting for English Babu Desi Mem. The injury count continues even as he most recently sustained a head injury on the sets of Happy New Year this year. His list of injuries include a broken knee, broken toe, broken right ankle, broken shoulders and a debilitating back problem. Insiders say the checklist is so lengthy largely due to the actor’s enthusiasm to do most things on his own despite help being at hand.
While shooting for Happy New Year, he suffered a freak accident when a huge wooden door fell on him injuring his head, fracturing his arm and tearing his patella tissue. Following this, he was off the gym for three months and once ready, his trainer Prashant Sawant got him back in shape and he could partake in the victory lap celebrations of his team Kolkata Knight Riders.
A filmmaker on condition of anonymity said, “Shah Rukh doesn’t let anybody know if he is in pain. He has a huge amount of endurance to pain. He never wakes up in the morning thinking he has to hit the gym. Work begins as soon as he is up. He has a lot of water during the day and a lot of caffeine too.”
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty says, “Shah Rukh was in deep pain during the action scenes of Chennai Express; it showed on his face. But he went ahead and completed the shoot. Senior actors are aware of the big money that is riding on them.”
AKSHAY KUMAR
He makes jumping from a 40-storey building look cool. His dedication towards his fitness has helped him sail through the most difficult scenes without sustaining any major injuries. Decades ago, Akshay was hurt while trying to lift a wrestler during the shoot of Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi. That was the last one has heard of Akshay being knocked out due to an injury. Years later, he went to Germany for a treatment called hydro treatment during Action Replay.
Akshay doesn’t do weights and prefers a lot of freehand exercises. A close friend of his reveals, “He starts his day at 4 am. His exercise regime could be as simple as running up and down the building stairs or going for a swim. His trainer Jennifer accompanies him on shoots and takes care of his diet. His training lasts about 45 minutes to an hour.” While shooting outdoors, Akshay is known to insist his co-star join him for training. “But since Akshay starts his day at a time when many actors are returning from a party, it’s only on few occasions that he would actually end up having companian,” says his friend.
Akshay opts for Ayurvedic treatment over allopathy as much as he can. He doesn’t eat after 7 pm, unless he’s at a party, and usually hits the bed by 10 pm.
AJAY DEVGN
He made his entry in Bollywood standing atop two moving bikes in Phool aur Kaante and has been one of the most successful action heroes. Ajay Devgn has done a lot of daredevilry in his films, many a time without a safety cable. Says Devgn, “Injuries never stopped me from continuing with the shoot — even in excruciating pain.”
Devgn informs that there is usually a doctor and a physiotherapist on the sets of his films. He spent much of his time during the shoot of Rohit Shetty’s Singham Returns with an ice pack on his back. Word is the injury was sustained 20 years ago and had healed but has unfortunately aggravated now. Rohit says, “Ajay has had 14 odd fractures in his entire career. Despite that he would perform a stunt better than a younger actor. The key rule in his case has been fitness. Age will have its effects on everyone but discipline and honesty will always reflect on their bodies and faces.”
