01/11When Bollywood celebrities trained in a sport for their films

When Bollywood celebrities trained in a sport for their films

When it comes to Bollywood actors and actresses we all know these celebrities leave no stone unturned to perfect a role for their films. Pulling a role off to perfection requires talent and that's just what our Bollywood celebrities possess. While talent is a key factor, it isn't really enough. While we look at them effortlessly pull off tedious characters, underneath all the perfect portrayal is passion, grit and hard work. Each role is different, each character is different and these Bollywood celebrities worked extremely hard to play their roles. Here are 10 Bollywood stars who had to learn a sport for their films.

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02/11Farhan Akhtar

Farhan Akhtar

Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar certainly stumped the audience with his perfect portrayal of veteran athlete Milkha Singh in the film 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. But not many know how much Farhan had to train for this role that required him to look like a lean track athlete. He trained so hard he ended up completely transforming his physical appearance in the process. Farhan worked out for four hours every day, combining running with stretching, cycling, altitude training and circuit training. No wonder he looked so perfect on-screen.

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03/11Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput is one actor who is known to give his all to a film. For his film 'Kai Po Che' where he plays a struggling cricketer, he completely gave up on aloo parathas and everything oily. He went to the gym four times a week and incorporated martial arts, horse riding, ballet and lawn tennis into his fitness regime. For his film 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' where he again had to portray a cricketer, the actor trained for hours and hours to perfect the “helicopter shot” for which Dhoni is famous.

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04/11Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan

If there's one person who can pull off any kind of role it’s Aamir Khan. In his film, 'Jo Jeeta Woh Sikander' Aamir had to play the role of a cyclist. While it might sound easy, it was nothing like that. Aamir had to master many cycling techniques and during shooting he was even spotted cycling at various locales to get into character. For his film 'Dangal', the actor had to learn how to wrestle and this involved rigorous training which included climbing, trekking, mountain biking and swimming. No wonder he looked like a real wrestler on-screen.

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05/11Salman Khan

Salman Khan

Who could possibly forget Salman Khan starrer 'Sultan' when it was one of the highest grosser of its year. In the film, Salman had to play the role of a wrestler as well as an MMA fighter and that required much training. Salman trained with renowned Hollywood fight choreographer Larnell Stovall to add authenticity to his role. Not only did Salman bulk up for the role by following a strict diet he even strengthened his core by practicing 150-200 kicks every day. He also combined four hours of daily MMA practice with weight training.

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06/11Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Although the film may have failed to set the box-office on fire, Nawazuddin was certainly spectacular in his portrayal of a golfer. Nawaz isn't much of a sports enthusiast but for his role in the film 'Freaky Ali', he had to learn how to golf. Nawaz started with training one to two hours a day and then followed that up with a five-hour session every day. The actor eventually perfected the game and how. Critics praised him stating that his swing looked even better than professional golfers'. Now, that's how you nail a role.

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07/11Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan played the role of an athlete who worked in the Indian Army and was a National Champion in the steeplechase seven times in a row for his film 'Paan Singh Tomar'. Perfecting the role of an athlete was very difficult for Irrfan as it required a certain kind of agility. To prepare for his role, Irrfan Khan trained rigorously with steeplechase coaches, even breaking his ankle at one point during the filming. He called the experience "the most physically and mentally demanding film of my career".

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08/11Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra

For her film 'Mary Kom', Priyanka had to learn how to play the role of a professional boxer. The actress had to undergo rigorous training which included altering her diet as well as combining it with a lot of weight exercises. The prep lasted four and a half months before Priyanka began shooting for the film. Her trainer helped her toughen up while keeping her body feminine. To add authenticity he even made her fight with real boxers.

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09/11Shreyas Talpade

Shreyas Talpade

In the film 'Iqbal', Shreyas Talpade was required to play the role of a deaf and mute boy with an uncanny talent for cricket. He went through extensive training for this role. He had to start training at 5.30 am every day and even had to try and imitate Kapil Dev's playing style as the former was Shreyas’ character's favourite player. He trained for around 20 days for the film with training beginning at the crack of dawn and ending at dusk.

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10/11Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee Pannu had to learn how to play Hockey for her upcoming film 'Soorma'. Speaking about it, Taapsee said, “It’s very rare and uncanny that a sport I learned for a specific film carried forward in my immediate next. I learned hockey for ‘Soorma’ but ended up using the skills in ‘Manmarziyan’ as well. Unlike ‘Soorma’, I don’t play a professional hockey player in ‘Manmarziyan’." For ‘Soorma’ Taapsee spent a considerable amount of time prepping to get her training right to essay the role on screen.

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