ARJUN KAPOOR in May issue of Men’s Health, India’s largest selling men’s lifestyle magazine

ENTERTAINMENT/HEALTH

SIX-PACK SUPERSTAR ARJUN KAPOOR

REVEALS HIS “FAT” PICTURES TO

MEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE

It’s the biggest transformations of them all! In a first of its kind, Arjun Kapoor, Bollywood’s newest six-pack superstars, has revealed pictures of the days when he was fat, sloppy and obese in the May issue of Men’s Health, India’s largest selling men’s lifestyle magazine. Arjun’s “before” pictures, which appear alongside a stunning cover photo-shoot he modeled for, showing off his impeccable physique and sculpted muscles, is the latest rage in B-Town. The Aurangzeb star unveiled the cover of the magazine at a press conference at Mumbai’s Hotel Orchid .

The cocky, smart-ass hero of the 2011 starrer Ishaqzaade, and now starring in Aurangzeb, reveals for the first time that until five years ago he couldn’t fit into airline seats because he was “fat!” He was so fat that even when he managed to squeeze himself in, he needed an extra belt to add to the buckle! At 140 kilos, he claims the manual weighing machine would take one full circle because there weren’t enough numbers on it. He was asthmatic at 22, couldn’t run for more than 10 seconds at a stretch, was always grumpy, sluggish, temperamental… “I was a sloppy mass of fat, cheating myself into thinking that I was happy being thus,” he tells Men’s Health. 

But that was then. The current issue of the magazine unveils a new-look Arjun: at an incredible 87 kilos, he’s melt all the excess fat, torched the calories and sculpted every muscle in his body with a cutting-edge fitness regime to be counted among one of Bollywood’s biggest six-pack superstars. Says he: “I’ve worked hard for eight weeks for this cover shoot. I know what I’ve achieved in life and this shoot is a testimony to all the hard work I’ve put in to be fit.” Confident and content, delighted at what he’s achieved, Arjun doesn’t shy away from sharing pictures of his “fat” days with the readers of the magazine. Says he: “I know what it means to be fat. It can eat you up psychologically. The trouble is that you eat more and more to block your mind to your condition.” 

In what is perhaps one of the most inspirational weight loss stories of recent times, Arjun shares the ups and downs of his journey for the first time to MH. Says he: “Being fat was part of my life. Actually, I never wanted to lose weight, content with what I was. But I knew I was lying to myself that I was happy being this way. In the last five years, I’ve learnt my lesson: Never Give Up! Patience is the key—live through each day, one day at a time. Fight the bad days just like you revel in the good ones. And never set any target date.”

The freewheeling interview that accompanies stunning pictures by celebrity photographer Subi Samuel has Arjun opening up on a range of topics, from setting goals to eating right, his motivations to his style quotient. When asked about six-packs Vs a healthy body, Arjun says: “Being fit is not about six-packs.  It is a lifestyle. It is much more than merely looking good. Your body can look great even without a six-pack. What most men don’t understand  is that the healthier you are, the better you’d look. You cannot be healthy and look bad!”

Says Jamal Shaikh, editorial director of Men’s Health: “Arjun’s exceptionally inspiring tale of transformation will have different takeaways for all. But there’s a more poignant lesson to be learnt: the next time you see a fat guy, don’t go jumping into conclusions you may need to take back later. Determination of the human mind is a miracle worker that can never be underestimated. (And remember, you have it too!)

ABOUT MEN’S HEALTH
Men's Health has consistently been India's largest-selling men's magazine since it was launched in November 2006. Commonly called MH, it is the friend, mentor and guide that provides its readers with well-researched, scientifically-ratified advice on every aspect of a man's life. It covers fitness, health, nutrition and weight-loss, fashion and grooming, sex and relationships, career and stress and a variety of other topics, making it a wholesome lifestyle publication for the ambitious, forward-thinking Indian male.

With 39 editions worldwide and a presence in over 46 countries, Men's Health is the world's largest men's magazine.