New Delhi: There is indeed a Salman Khan connection to Peddi, and it comes through celebrity fitness trainer Rakesh Udiyar. It was the superstar from Bollywood who introduced Rakesh to the South star, Ram Charan, years ago.
Confirming the story, Rakesh said, “I was training Bhai when he told me that my friend’s son needs to train with you. You come to Hyderabad. It came as a surprise to me that I had to train Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan.”
That introduction turned into a long-standing collaboration, with Rakesh eventually training Ram for several major films, including RRR (2022) and now Peddi.
Talking about the physical transformation required for Peddi, Rakesh revealed that the brief was completely different from RRR. “For Peddi, I was told he should look like a pehalwan and not like a Greek god like Hrithik Roshan,” he said, hinting at a rugged and earthy avatar for the actor in the film.
According to the trainer, the character undergoes multiple transitions — from a regular villager to a cricketer and eventually, a wrestler.
In contrast, for RRR, the body language and physique were designed around a different era. “He had hair on his body and his physique had to be that of a police officer,” Rakesh explained.
Sharing details of Ram’s routine during the shooting of Peddi, Rakesh said the actor began his mornings with ash gourd juice, followed by training sessions and protein shakes. While chef Ketan handled the diet planning, Ram’s wife Upasana Kamineni closely monitored the overall regimen.
Rakesh also praised the actor’s discipline, recalling how he would call him as early as 4 a.m. for workouts. He also added that the superstar from South goes to Sabarimala every year and turns vegetarian.
The trainer further recounted an incident from a wrestling sequence where Ram suffered an eye injury and needed stitches. Despite the setback, the actor resumed shooting the very next day.
“Someone else would have rested, but he believed the show must go on because others should not face any problem because of him,” Rakesh said.
Interestingly, Rakesh has also trained Salman for Sultan (2016), where the superstar transformed from a bulky wrestler to a lean MMA fighter through the course of the film.
Speaking about Salman’s fitness discipline, Rakesh remarked, “He has been working out and training for over 40 years. How can you take credit for that?”
He also added that both Salman and Ram have the best doctors and health specialists as their friends and therefore, someone like him has to be on his toes all the time.
Rakesh also opened up about a difficult phase during the shooting of Bodyguard (2011), when Salman Khan was diagnosed with an aneurysm.
“I have seen him screaming in pain. It was like he was getting a shock treatment. I pray to God kisi ko yeh hona nahi chahiye,” he recalled.