Monkey-jumping

This kung fu move helped the Bollywood queen Rani Mukherji sculpt a new body, writes Princy Jain.

The queen is trying to regain her power. She lost it to lame scripts and bulging flab, but now Rani Mukherji wants her box office clout back — and she has kickstarted the campaign by hitting the treadmill. From a hefty 60-plus kilos on her petite frame, she has gone down to 54 kg and is still burning fat.

Rani was last seen in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, produced by Yash Raj Films. She looked plump, almost bloated, at the time of its release. As she promoted the film, media images showed a woman who was seriously out of shape, a fact that did nothing to help her career. The actress was criticised for letting herself go.

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But finally, she got the advice she so needed, from none but Aamir Khan, himself a picture of health and fitness and Rani’s friend from their Ati kya Khandala days. He introduced the actress to Satyajit Chaurasia, celebrity trainer and the man behind Aamir’s Ghajini body.

After seven months of yoga and workout, Rani is visibly slimmer, fresher and a lot younger to look at. “She has been put on a balanced diet, a special workout,” says Satya. The workout includes monkey jumps, a kung fu move, “and her body has reacted to it very well”.

Satya points out the advantage Rani had despite the extra kilos: “Unlike male stars, who have to shed at least 10-15 kg for visible changes, women can look different by knocking off just a few kilos.”

What is the most difficult exercise for Rani? “Stomach crunches, she cries like a baby while doing it,” says Satya.
After all the sweat and sit-ups, Rani will be seen playing cricket in Yash Raj Films’ next release. “It’s a film based on cricket. Rani had heard this script and suggested it to Adi [Aditya Chopra],” says a source from YRF. “Though Adi was reluctant initially, he has ultimately started work on the film. Tentatively titled Cricket, it is expected to release this year.”