Actor Shehzad Shaikh, who is currently seen in the show 'Mehndi Wala Ghar', has opened up on his 'unhealthy' fitness regime, sharing how he had an instant physical transformation for this role.
Shehzad portrays the role of Rahul Agrawal, an NRI in this family drama.
Talking about the preparations that went into this character, Shehzad told IANS: "This role is about a 26-year-old boy, and so for the physical transformation I have dropped about 68 kgs which I had gained for the previous character in 'Sindoor Ki Keemat'. And I will drop four kgs more."
The actor further said that he has watched a lot of British shows to build upon the accent. "And I am completely a director's actor. Whatever they want I am delivering it to them."
Speaking about his fitness regime, the 'Bepannah' fame actor said: "I am a very unhealthy person. Asking me to maintain a fitness regime is the last thing one can do in life. Because when I need to drop, I drop -- like I stop eating for 5-6 days. I just eat very very little, and then I fall sick also because of that. I literally shrink in weight."
"I would not advise anyone to do that. It's not good for your health at all. But my body is very used to this now, and I can do it whenever I want. And I have been doing it for quite some time. I drop my kgs in a very unhealthy way and I don't advise anyone to do it," said Shehzad.
"My character Rahul is an NRI, a happy-go-lucky guy, has a light life story, I really liked that character, because I have not played those kinds of characters. I was an NRI myself, and lived in Saudi Arabia for 19 years. I had all of those problems and issues that my character Rahul has."
"I wanted every NRI to relate to my character. I don't want anyone sitting in a different country, and saying, 'I am not like this'. I wanted to catch authenticity. I have experience of different nationalities and different people and their behaviours," he added.
'Mehndi Wala Ghar' revolves around Ujjain's Agrawal family, touching upon the complexities of familial bonds and creating intrigue about whether the Agrawals will remain united in the face of adversity.
Narrated from the perspective of a decades-old Mehndi tree that adorns the family courtyard, the show brings to the fore a relatable depiction of varied characters that one finds in each family.
'Mehndi Wala Ghar' airs on Sony.