Much before the pandemic’s second wave hit the country Eesha Rebba took up archery and rifle shooting for a role in one of her upcoming films. “I had to train in kickboxing and archery for an intense role in a Malayalam film I’ve signed, which needs me to pull off some high-octane action sequences,” explains Eesha.
Then, the lockdown happened, hampering her preparations for the role. Eesha, who’s looking forward to commencing shooting for her part, had been keen on adding kickboxing to her fitness program long before the film happened.
So, even as the lockdown ground to a halt many activities, Eesha decided to use the time to focus more on fitness, picking up kickboxing and archery as a part of her initiative to stay fit.
Eesha Rebbe practising kickboxing
“Also, kickboxing makes you stronger mentally; it makes you feel powerful within and boosts self-confidence. It gives you a different vibe. It’s an ideal sport to pick up especially during the lockdown,” she says, adding that she looks forward to resuming shooting for the Malayalam film once things settled down.
The actress learnt archery in Hyderabad for a month, an experience Eesha classifies as different. The training program included lessons on improving her arm strength, correcting her stance for the sport, lessons on holding the equipment properly with an emphasis on the angles of holding it as well as lessons on how to tighten and loosen the arrow.
Additionally, she had to practice extensively with left and right hands as she plays a left-hander in the film. “The training has been very rigorous and extensive. The training began at 5 am and went on for two hours daily,” says Eesha.
Despite the tough training, the experience of bow and arrow has been liberating for the Subrahmanyapuram actress. “One of the important aspects of training is to focus on the target, which is why getting the posture right is significant. The techniques in pulling the arrow are also very enlightening and I managed to pick up the basics of archery, too,” she reveals.
While training, Eesha also tried practicing rifle shooting using a machine gun. “It’s very dangerous and heavy to handle but I’ve managed to get the basics right,” states the Raagala 24 Gantallo star, signing off.
