How Shriyam Bhagnani prepped to play sumo wrestler Hetal Dave in Sumo Didi

Shriyam Bhagnani

"We believe that if we are overweight, we can't do too many things. But, to carry that weight, and still pull off all the movements that I did - the ones I couldn't even do when I was lighter - felt empowering," says Shriyam Bhagnani, when making a case for how athletic training, physiotherapy and nutritional counselling go hand-in-hand to help an actor pull off a sports film. "I didn't incur a single injury, despite not [actively training] before this movie began."

Shriyam Bhagnani (right) plays sumo wrestler Hetal Dave (left)

Jayant Rohatgi's film sees Bhagnani essay the role of Hetal Dave in a cinematic adaptation of the latter's life, a feat that required the actor to gain 14 kilos, and amend her body-composition drastically. "When we met Shriyam, she was 83 kilos, and we had to bring her to 97. We didn't make her do intense cardiovascular activities, but we wanted a reduction of fat [mass], and gain of muscle mass," says trainer Sahil Rasheed, who carried out sports-specific training to enable the actor to gain the desired capability. "Sumo is a quick sport in that it takes only five to 10 seconds to complete one round. So, we had to work on her reflexes and strength. Sumo wrestlers are also very flexible, so, we needed to enhance hinge movements as well. The movements that she had to execute were demanding. That she had to pull them off while being 97 kilos make the task even more challenging. Evidently, a fair amount of conditioning work was required to do that without incurring injuries. We wanted her body to get accustomed to the exercises before we moved on to high-intensity work."

Sahil Rasheed

Given that the character is seen exercising with minimal equipment in certain sections of the offering, Rasheed had her train with empty gas cylinders, which helped her better her grip strength. He says, "In a deep squat, we'd make her sweep the floor. This activity improved her range. There were also sequences that required her to pull off multiple shots with an energy level that did not deplete, and that's where the nutritionist stepped in. She was on a 2,500-calorie diet. And while she could eat burgers, she also needed to ensure that her protein intake was adequate."

Athlete Dave also shared several insights that helped Bhagnani learn the nitty-gritties of her role. "She taught me the typical sumo squat, which we performed every day. She also taught me how wrestlers conduct themselves, how to look at the opponent when you enter the ring, and prepare yourself to fight when the person you face is bigger than you. It was a challenging experience, but every bit worthwhile," Bhagnani signs off.

2,500
Shriyam's caloric intake