Ram Charan Turns Vegetarian After Peddi

For Peddi, in which he plays a wrestler, Ram Charan turned completely vegetarian. Even after completing the film, he has continued with the lifestyle and is now a strict vegetarian. His meals are cooked separately from the rest of the family’s, and he avoids eating out, preferring homemade vegetarian food.

The role demanded a major physical transformation. Ram Charan had to build the body of a wrestler, achieve the lean agility of a cricketer and develop the stamina of a sprinter. To prepare for the part, he underwent rigorous training and adopted a disciplined vegetarian diet to resemble a traditional pehalwan.

Before Peddi, Ram Charan was already “50 to 60 per cent vegetarian”, but the demands of the role pushed him towards becomincompletely vegetarian. The actor also trained like a traditional Indian wrestler in an akhada, immersing himself in the desi style of fitness and discipline associated with wrestling.

Speaking about the transformation, Ram Charan says, “Turning vegetarian was not difficult. The physical transformation was definitely tough. But nothing feels difficult when something is done with love and passion. In fact, it makes you want to do it again and again.”

Interestingly, the actor had also stopped intensive workouts during portions of Peddi to bulk up naturally for the wrestler’s look. He now plans to gradually shed the extra muscle gained for the role.

Highlights:

“Turning vegetarian was not difficult. The physical transformation (for the film) was definitely tough. But nothing feels difficult when something is done with love and passion. In fact, it makes you want to do it again and again.”

Ram Charan