- Jr NTR lost nearly 15 kgs over four months to prepare for his role in Dragon
- Director Prashanth Neel suggested Jr NTR become thinner to enhance his assassin look
- Jr NTR’s drastic weight loss caused concern among his family and friends
The first glimpse of Dragon may have just dropped, but it has already got fans talking - not just about Jr NTR's fierce new avatar, but also about the intense effort that went into creating it.
To mark Jr NTR's birthday on Wednesday, May 20, the makers unveiled the first teaser of the much-awaited film, leaving fans thrilled by his transformed look. Now, director Prashanth Neel has revealed just how much dedication went into achieving it.
Speaking to Galatta Plus, the filmmaker shared that Jr NTR lost nearly 15 kgs over four months to prepare for his role.
Prashanth recalled that around a year and a half ago, just before filming was set to begin, the team conducted a look test. While reviewing it, he felt the actor could look even sharper for the role and suggested a slight physical change.
"I told him that if you became thinner for the role of the assassin, it would help."
That simple suggestion, however, led to a much bigger transformation than expected.
"He didn't shoot for the next four months, and he lost about 15 kgs at one point of time. I asked him to stop many times in between because he started looking frail and became paler but he didn't stop," he shared.
Jr NTR's Family Reacts To His Weight Loss
The drastic weight loss did not go unnoticed by those closest to the actor.
"His wife was upset with me, his mother was upset with me, all his friends were upset with me. Everybody who knew him was upset with me. My whole team was upset with me, but I told them that was not my doing. I just told him to lose a little bit of weight, and he went berserk with it."
Prashanth admitted it was difficult watching the actor push himself so hard.
"We were very worried. All the blame was put on me," he said, adding that the team watched him "suffer and he suffered a lot" during the process.
The director also clarified that the transformation was done professionally. According to him, once the conversation happened, Jr NTR immediately got to work.
"His trainer arrived in the next 30 minutes, and he started his process the next morning. We had to postpone our shoot by a few months, but we were more than happy with the result at the end of the day."
How Jr NTR Lost 9.5 Kg Of Muscle Mass In 50 Days
Earlier this year, Jr NTR's trainer, Kumar Mannava, shared how the actor lost 9.5 kilos of muscle mass.
Sharing details about the transformation, the trainer revealed to Deccan Chronicle that the aim went beyond simple weight loss and was focused on achieving a leaner and more agile physique.
To make that happen, Jr NTR's fitness routine was significantly reworked. Instead of sticking to heavy muscle-building workouts, his training shifted towards functional movements and cardio-focused exercises, along with moderate resistance training.
His daily schedule included early morning sessions that lasted between 45 to 90 minutes, depending on whether the day's focus was on cardio or strength.
The dietary plan, too, took a different route. Trainer Kumar Mannava revealed that rather than following a protein-heavy diet typically linked to muscle gain, Jr NTR opted for a low-protein intake. This strategy helped him reduce the muscle mass he had built over time and achieve the leaner look required for his role in Dragon.
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