More often than not, an actor starts working on his body much in advance, even before the shooting of his film begins. But Jackky Bhagnani got less than six weeks from director Sanjay Gadhvi to get his eight-pack abs to go bare-torso for the song Boom Boom in their upcoming romcom Ajab Gazabb Love.
Jackky took it up as a challenge. For starters, he not only banished salt from his food, but also stayed away from all things sweet. He worked out twice a day — an hour each in the morning and evening — under the guidance of a trainer and ate a small meal every couple of hours. Besides, he also stopped partying and led a disciplined life that included mandatory seven-hour sleep.
Pleased with the result, Jackky says, “It wasn’t easy. I didn’t have a life, but at the end of it all, I’m glad it was worth the effort. It feels great that the song is looking good.” Asked if he’s expecting it to become a party anthem like Chaar baj gaye from his last release F.A.L.T.U., he replies, “I hope so, because it’s a feel good number. This song has the vibe to make you feel happy, whether you’re listening to it at home, while driving or at a club.”
Eight packs wasn’t the only challenge, he also had to extensively practise certain dance steps. “My style is more of locking and popping. But choreographer Bosco came up with this lyrical hip-hop style. The idea is to dance without appearing to be trying too hard.” Apart from Ajab Gazabb Love, Jackky is also working in Priyadarshan’s next, Rangrezz, an intense subject. Considering that ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan is shooting it, the actor calls the duo “a lethal combination”. He says, “I’m getting to learn a lot from them.” Asked about his take on his father Vashu Bhagnani’s idea of releasing their film songs as singles, starting with Boom Boom going online today, the actor says, “He’s always known for his marketing and publicity strategies. This will also become a trend in the future.”
