Naseeruddin Shah takes a break to lose belly

Actor Naseeruddin Shah takes some time off from work to scuba dive and play tennis, wants to get rid of potbelly he put on for The Dirty Picture and 4084.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah takes some time off from work to scuba dive and play tennis, wants to get rid of potbelly he put on for The Dirty Picture and 4084.

Actor will be taking off on a holiday soon. Reason: He’s worked in three films in the current year — 4084, Michael and The Dirty Picture that released yesterday. And the actor feels he needs a break before starting anything new. He plans to go scuba diving and play tennis in his free time.

He also reveals that he’s chosen these two activities in particular to get rid of his potbelly, which he put on for two of his films, 4084 and The Dirty Picture.

In 4084, he plays the part of a lethargic undercover Mumbai Police officer. In The Dirty Picture, he portrays the role a south superstar.

“I’ve never seen a police officer, anywhere in our country, without a potbelly. It’s sometimes so difficult to imagine them chasing thieves and rogues with that belly of theirs,” says Naseer, smiling.

“I don’t mean to demean our cops, but they all have a belly. So, when I was offered 4084, one of the most important elements that I added to my character was the paunch because it doesn’t miss the eye. I gorged on gajar halwa and gulab jamuns. And over a period of time, it was ready. Now that we’ve wrapped up the film, it’s time I get rid of the extra fat.”

The actor retained his weight for The Dirty Picture as well, as it went well with his look, which included wearing loud, tight fitting clothes and a thin moustache along with the appropriate body language.

It is said that, south superstars like M G Ramachandran and Shivaji Ganesan inspired Naseer’s character in the film. “I’m not too familiar with the movies down south. I’ve seen a couple of M G Ramachandran’s and Shivaji’s movies and some others too. But my character is not entirely like any of them. In fact, you can’t trace it back to any individual,” he points out, adding that he noted certain traits of their personalities.

“Even if the men weren’t good-looking or didn’t have the best physiques, they would walk around with this panache. So, everything I’ve done, including lip-synching to Bappi Lahiri’s voice and dancing around pots, is to meet the character’s requirement. The movie is over. I don’t think I need the belly anymore.”