The Bollywood actor reveals his action hero idols and also talks about his tremendous physical transformation for his maiden action flick, Om: The Battle Within [2022].

By Mayur Lookhar

Aditya Roy Kapur is all excited for his maiden action extravaganza Om: The Battle Within [2022]. The actor and the core team of the film stepped out to launch their trailer today in Mumbai [10 June]. Given his physical transformation, Kapur was no wonder the cynosure of all eyes at the trailer launch.

When asked whether this transformation was due to any female fanfare demand or the producers, he cheekily replied, “I think it is a combination. Producers did demand it. If you look at action films, a lot of physicality is required and specially for a film like this”.

Kapur plays an Indian para commando Om who loses his memory in a combat mission. Kapur’s chiseled physique is already drawing comparisons with global action hero icons.  And the actor, too, admitted being a fan of them.

He says, “Growing up, it [my idol] was mainly Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme,  I’ve seen all their filmography, even their very bad films which no one should see. Over here [Bollywood], I would say Sanjay Dutt. He has such an aura, personality. If I’m not wrong, he was the first hero to build a physique”.

Speaking on the process of the huge physical transformation, Kapur says, “It was 3-4 months process. It was funny because I always wanted to learn action but I’d never done action before. I did four months of martial arts, and body building, too, was needed. You tend to lose muscle when you do martial arts. But I had to do both. So, it was basically two hours of action [martial arts] in the day, and two hours of body building in the night. In between, I met the team over writing sessions. So, it was like an Om boot camp in life”

Speaking of an actor’s battle within, Kapur shed light on the unpredictability of the profession and the need to be level headed.

“It’s a funny job that we have. It is unpredictable. The main thing is to be able to make peace with the ups and downs and the unpredictability [of the profession],” says Kapur, “Early on in your career, you’re not equipped to handle it but as the years go on, you realise that everything is transient and you just have to stay on the level if things don’t go well. If they go really well, you still have to prove yourself the next Friday and the next Friday. It is just about keeping your self-confidence intact no matter what happens around you. That is the most important thing as an actor”.

A journalist was truly taken aback by the physical transformation of Aditya wondering whether there was any rage within that triggered this transformation . A cheeky Aditya replied, “As an actor you have to find emotions which are not there in the room. Sometimes, you make use of memories. I had to think of some old things, but I won’t take any name. We will talk about it later”. 

Is the actor perhaps referring to his rumored break-up with Aashiqui 2 [2013] co-actor Shraddha Kapoor? On a another lighter note, Kapur finished the press conference happily revealing that reporting for a 7.00 am shift is still his biggest battle within.

Om: The Battle Within [2022] is set to be released on 1  July.

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