“If it was easy everybody would be doing it; hard work and perseverance will always trump talent.”
Indian body-builder Rakesh Udiyar might not be a household name in the country, but as a coach he has produced as many as five World Championship body building medallists for the nation. That in itself demands attention, let alone his celebrity associations.
Around two weeks ago, a video of Indian actor Aamir Khan’s body transformation for his portrayal of Dronacharya Awardee Mahavir Phogat in Dangal went viral on social media. It specifically highlighted the time duration in which the Bollywood superstar managed to reduce his body fat from 50% to 10%. Most people speculated steroids to be the reason behind the transformation.
The real secret behind this miraculous transition, however, was a dedicated routine planned by the 35-year-old Udiyar, which required three months of consistent grinding. And the entire process was fuelled by Udiyar's life experiences, not unlike a certain Hollywood film named Slumdog Millionaire.
Udiyar told Sportskeeda, “My father was a contractor for Hamilton cycles, as far as I can remember, when I was 4 years old. We weren’t very affluent, just a proper middle class family, and somehow made ends meet. However, he suffered from immediate paralysis when I was six years old.
"After he suffered the stroke, we realised that all our money was being pumped into his medical treatment. We literally had no money left to even send me to school. We had to leave the house as we couldn’t pay rent, and (had to) move in to the nearby slums. I began selling pepsi colas; these are not your actual cola bottles, but the small plastic strips. I used to sell them for Rs 2 apiece, and made around Rs 10 a day.
"My brother started working at a tea stall and my mother got work at a house in Bandra. She worked with this lady named Bina Chablani. They were nice enough to give us some money to study in a Marathi convent school. I used to go to school till 1, and then to the trains to sell the cola. This was enough money for my books,” Udiyar added.
During his spare time, he also worked in construction, which helped him stay fit. In fact, lifting heavy goods ensured that he had a very toned physique, which was often complimented by passers-by. While working at the Amritsari Dhaba in Mumbai, he crossed paths with two gym owners, who asked him to work as a sweeper.
Udiyar said, “I mean, being a sweeper at a gym is better than being a sweeping at a dhaba; for me, it was a move up. I used to lift a lot of heavy weight, and while talking to them I also showed them how fit I was. They told me that they were looking for a sweeper, so I immediately told them that I’m super fit.
"I was 16 then and hungry to grow, so I even did stuff like 50-plus push-ups in front of them. So they accepted me and asked me to join from the next day. I used to clean the floor with my hands on a daily basis, as I realised it would help me become fitter.
"They even had that one broom thing, but I used to watch and learn from the trainers. If I couldn’t train at the gym, I would make sure to do the entire cleaning with my hands. I still encourage my clients to do everyday physical work; it helps them keep their muscles working. In fact I told this to both Aamir and Salman Khan,” he went on.
After learning the ropes at the Q gym, Udiyar eventually graduated to a spotter, helping the clients with the machines. Within just one month of that, he was promoted to a full level instructor.
One of Udiyar’s friends, who was an instructor at Gold’s Gym, requested him to train a high-profile client. The client turned out to be none other than Arbaaz Khan. Udiyar said, “Under me, Arbaaz reduced from 95 kg to 83 kg in just two months' time. I also worked with Dia Mirza during that time, and she was also pleased with her results. This is how I came to be known amongst the celebrities.”
Udiyar's first major project came in the form of Salman Khan for his hit film, Bodyguard. He added, “Once I worked with Salman Khan, I shed that entire image from my head about celebrities. His dedication was amazing; he would come back from shoots in London at 2 am and still go work out. I also had to be ready for that kind of system. If he didn’t work out, he couldn’t sleep - that’s the kind of dedication he had towards gymming.”
The Aamir Khan Dangal transformation
Udiyar met Aamir at a gym around two years ago; he was requested by the superstar to train his son Junaid, who was gaining too much weight. Within six months, Udiyar graduated to training Aamir for Dhoom 3, a role which required him to have a specific muscular body type.
Udiyar said, “I don’t know why people are going crazy about this entire transformation. It’s not something that happened overnight; it was planned over the course of three months. Each detail was measured and executed accordingly."
"I treat all my clients the same way, be it Aamir or anyone else. With celebrities the only difference is that they have strict deadlines. However, Aamir was extremely dedicated to his role and he executed it to perfection. If you put all your mind into it, it’s not something impossible to achieve,” he added.
Udiyar trained Aamir everyday in his fitness academy known as Scrunch. The goals were small in the beginning - as small as just 20 minutes of cardio. He said, “I used to lie to Aamir a lot about the weights; even when he used to lift 50 or 60 kg, I would tell him it was 30. I used certain tricks or positive reinforcement to get him to lift heavier weights.
"After one point I think he realised as well, but he wanted it to continue the way it was. The good thing about the transformation was that everything happened as per the process. It was difficult for Aamir as he had to completely change the diet that he had, but as I said he is a perfectionist, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.”
According to Udiyar, Aamir would be in the gym before he entered every morning, raring to go. He didn't want to waste any of the time he had with the trainer. Udiyar added, “I’m a very strict disciplinarian and I think Aamir respected that in me. I believe if I give my 110% the other person should as well, otherwise it will not beneficial to both parties.”
Recently Udiyar also trained Saiyed Iqbal to a silver medal at the Mr Olympia Amateur Championship, a first for India.
From working as a child labourer on the streets of Dharavi to training the likes of Aamir Khan, Udiyar’s story is both rare and inspiring. It highlights how hard work and perseverance can help anybody reach the top of the food chain, origins be damned.
In his own special way, Udiyar has created a 'Dangal' of a different kind.
