Bollywood actor Imran Khan recently took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post about his body image and fitness journey. The actor, who has been out of the limelight for some time, reflected on his past insecurities, the pressure to bulk up for films, and the use of supplements in a candid and introspective post.
Sharing pictures of himself, Imran wrote in caption, “I’ve always been skinny. I’m one of those hyper-metabolic people, my body just burns through whatever I consume. Oh no, what a terrible affliction! In my late teens, guys around me started joining gyms and working out. They started to expand, their biceps stretching the sleeves of their t-shirts. I wore a size S, and my sleeves were still loose. I didn’t need to be muscular to play Jai Singh Rathore… but I was convinced that I was too skinny, which is why Jai mostly wears two layers of clothing throughout Jaane Tu. For my next film, Kidnap, I hit the gym in earnest, and began my journey with body building.”
He further added, “Over the next few years, the sculpting and maintenance of my body became part of my lifestyle. I worked out regularly, but still I would hear ‘So… you’ll bulk up a bit before we start shooting, right?’; ‘You’re looking weak’, ‘You look like a little boy, not a man’, and ‘The heroine looks bigger than you’ (ouch for both of us!). In hindsight, I think I looked fine… but at the time, I felt insecure. I wanted a powerful, heroic physique. So I tried harder.”
Talking about supplements, Imran said, “Exercise means nothing without nutrition; 6 meals a day, totalling 4000 calories. Chicken breast, egg whites, sweet potato, oats, flax seeds… all good stuff, but still not enough to make my biceps look like the heroes I saw onscreen. No, for that I needed to supplement with whey protein, creatine, leucine, glutamine, L-carnitine… and ultimately, even anabolic steroids. Shock and horror! We’re not supposed to admit that part out loud, it could totally ruin the illusion!”
The actor concluded by writing, “In recent years, as I battled depression and stopped working out, I became skinnier than I’d ever been. When I was photographed, it sparked a media discussion about my wellbeing, and speculations of drug abuse! I felt deeply ashamed, embarrassed to be seen by anyone in this state. So I retreated further. It’s been an uphill journey, but these days I’m doing better than ever; I exercise with my old friend @tokastraining who puts my health first and only feeds me supplements like walnuts and turmeric… seriously. And while I’m still a tad jealous of those dudes with superhero muscles… I don’t feel bad about myself.”
View this post on Instagram
For the unversed, Imran Khan is Aamir Khan’s nephew. He made his debut in the 2008 movie Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na which also starred Genelia Deshmukh. He also went on to star in Break Ke Baad opposite Deepika Padukone, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan opposite Katrina Kaif, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola opposite Anushka Sharma, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! opposite Sonakshi Sinha, Katti Batti opposite Kangana Ranaut and Delhi Belly.
The post Imran Khan shares he felt insecure as he opens up about body image and fitness journey; says, “I’m still a tad jealous of those dudes with superhero muscles” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
from Bollywood Hungama https://ift.tt/Vax1tFZ
