Chiseled Perfection

With washboard abs, sculpted arms and toned legs, who can blame men from across the country to want a body like Karan Singh Grover? In an exclusive interview he talks about the time he tried to get a break as an actor and the one smart move that changed the course of his life.

By Chitman Kanwar Ahuja · Nov 2019 · 9 min read

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Successful actors rarely talk about their struggling days. Most of them choose to blank it out or underplay it. That might be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. But for Karan, it’s been a smooth sailing through and through all due to his infectious smile and cute dimples ever since his modelling days. He is also envied for his powerful muscular body, but you must know that he works really hard to maintain his fit physique. He believes in pushing fitness boundaries consistently be it during the day or night with his beautiful wife by his side, as they both consider fitness as their religion. Here, Karan talks about the time when he came to the city of dreams with no industry connections, and survival before he became a star, fitness icon and totally drool-worthy. Edited excerpts…

After debuting on the soap opera Dill Mill Gayye you were an instant hit and quite a favorite amongst the ladies. How do you cater to the female fan base? Does it ever become overwhelming?

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My fan base has been quite kind to me, and the best thing about them is that they like me for who I am. It has been overwhelming and its always a good feeling when people love you unconditionally and appreciate your work.

Your choice of films, right from your debut movie Alone and Hate Story 3, has been unconventional. Is that deliberate move?

It wasn’t a deliberate move, it’s just that I choose films on the basis of their storyline and what the role seeks. I look forward to playing different characters and doing good films with a good script, and both the above films were great examples of the same.

You have spent over a decade in the industry. How do you look back on your journey so far? What has been the biggest success and the biggest challenge?

I don’t look weigh my life with respect to success or challenges, but I view it from the perspective of learning experiences. Everything that one faces in life is an experience, which has a bigger learning ingrained within it, you learn from it and improve yourself further. And I believe that once you achieve that learning curve from your past experiences, is what shapes you in your life ahead.

You were an avid part of Khatron ke Khiladi 3. What was that most difficult stunt for you?

There was a stunt where we were about 70 ft up in the air, and we had to stand on a drum and roll it with our feet to the other side. I fell within a couple of seconds of the stunt but it was extremely scary.

A number of actors are taking up parts in web series these days. What are the advantages and risks associated with it? Also what made you take up - Boss – Baap of Special Services?

Everything today is moving more towards the digital space, as that is where the future is headed. As an actor I do not view anything as a disadvantage but rather an advantage; and whenever given a chance I always like to put forward my acting skills to the best of my abilities.

I took up Boss – Baap of Special Services, because it had a multi-layered character, I loved the name, the storyline and also because it was being made by ALTBalaji which is a great platform in itself.

You have made a comeback on the television space after 6 years, by playing a negative character – Mr. Rishabh Bajaj on Kasautii Zindagii Kay. Do you like playing a villain than playing the hero?

I choose my work on the basis of the storyline and the character, though it is more fun being able to play the villain. But I do not limit myself to a positive or a negative role, I am open to experimenting with the character’s that I play.

Bipasha and you have been married for three years. How would you describe your marital bliss? Also what keeps you two happily connected?

Being with her every day is a blessing, she is the most wonderful partner that I could have wished for. She is always full of love and gratitude which I adore about her, we connect on a lot of things which keeps us content and entertained.

Both of you are fitness enthusiasts. Has a common passion contributed towards strengthening the bond?

Both of us being fitness enthusiasts was one of the first things that we bonded upon, apart from the fact that she is breathtakingly gorgeous. It always helps when you and your partner have common interests and especially in terms of fitness, because it shows that even they are as driven as you are when it comes down to taking care of themselves physically. Fitness has played an important part in strengthening our relationship and it’s something that keeps us euphoric.

What kind of a workout are you following these days, given that you have to constantly work on your body transformation for every role?

My workout routine keeps changing because I feel that the more change that you incorporate in your fitness routine is what evolves your physique. Recently I have been training on a mixed technique of physical and movement exercises, developed by Israeli trainer Ido Portal, who is globally known as the ‘Father of Movement’.

And Avinash, my fitness teacher has trained under Ido, he further helps me train on my skeletal muscles, and I do not use anymore weights train. And this movement helps me build my core, my strength and helps me build what my ideal perception of being fit includes; not just aesthetics, as they are a byproduct of the hard work that you put into your routine.

The entertainment industry comprises of hectic schedules with unending working hours, how are you so dedicated to working out?

It’s true that our work has a busy schedule, but being an ex-hotelier long hours do not affect me. The key that I maintain is to not miss a workout, and I wake up at 5am everyday to begin my training by 6am and once I am done with my workout and spiritual rituals is when I head out for work. We work in 12-hour shifts, and once you deeply achieve the understanding about the importance of physical training, is when you feel calm and collected. And once there is a release of endorphins at the beginning of the day, it makes you feel rejuvenated, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Judging by your popularity, you have a physique that is in demand. How do you work on improving it consistently?

It’s nice to hear that my physique is in demand, I believe that whatever you put your time and effort into is what it gives back to you. And herein it comes down to the aesthetics which are a byproduct of the hard work that you put into your fitness routine.

There are a couple of roles which require me to lose or gain a some weight, but then again I consistently work towards maintaining the aesthetic bit of it. I am at being a stronger and better version of myself every day.

How do you plan your diet with such rigorous workouts, also what’s your take on the superfood trend?

I am fortunate enough to have been blessed to have Bipasha by my side, as she guides the cook at our house through the type of food that is to be prepared. And because she is a avid health and fitness enthusiast herself, she knows what the right food is. But the whole trend around superfood and the various kinds of diets comes down to the placebo effect, wherein it’s not about the food but it is where we are the placebo.

It’s up to us what the food gives us, and once you have that understanding you can decipher that what type of food we take in is what is made of us on a later stage. You should not stop yourself from eating something but rather maintain a curtailed balance, and it’s the small steps that count. I often sit in a vajrasana for 5 minutes after every meal and it helps in improving my BMR, digestion and raising the testosterone levels. We often place ourselves in the backseat and give other things more importance, which should not be the case; in the end it isn’t about superfood but rather it is about ‘Super Us’.

What is your approach to nutrition and being focused towards eating right?

The macrocosm is at a place where we are in desperate need to save the forest and the animals, as that is the need of the hour. Keeping that in mind, our nutrition and diet habits have to change, it isn’t something that should be forced upon anyone but mother earth needs us right now, more than ever.

And once you have that understanding is when you know what is right or wrong. I am a vegetarian twice a week and once a week, on Mondays I avoid eating for 24 hours. And fasting once a week is good for human beings because we produce energy to digest only one meal a day, yet we keep eating more, which isn’t good for us. The lesser you eat, the better it is in the long-term.

Coming to your personal life, how has your love life been treating you? How has the experience changed you as a person? Have your priorities and outlook towards life and career changed?

It been better than ever, and if I had to sum it up I would use the word - awesome. It has changed me a lot, and Bipasha has that aura about her which completely makes ones worry’s, trauma’s and setbacks vanish.

I often tell her that even if she would walk through a swamp, by the end of it there would be flowers blossoming all through it, she takes it as a joke, because I am madly in love with her but it is true nonetheless. She has that positive spark which fades away all impurities. My outlook towards my career and life has changed positively, because once you are with someone, you begin functioning as one unit and adds to your drive.

Have you thought of exploring the digital platform, which is the in-thing right now?

I have my web series, Boss – Baap of Special Services, which is already on air on the digital medium. And I think that the digital space is not in trend but rather is an inevitable part of the future. It is more convenient, has lesser guidelines, is easier to connect with and has a bigger space for creative freedom.

How was your experience of shooting with FHM India?

It was a lovely experience.

Tell us something about your upcoming projects.

There is a film, Aadat that both Bipasha and I are in, which is set to release this year.

Rapid Fire

Your first celebrity crush? Bipasha Basu
What’s one fitness or health myth that people should avoid? Taking break days
Favorite couple’s exercise with your wife? Monkey pull-ups
What does your daily workout session look like? Extremely crazy
What advice would you give your 20 year old self? There is no point giving any advice, as I won’t follow suit, it would be a waste of time and breath.
How many calories do you target at burning on a daily basis? I don’t aim at counting calories, rather I focus on pushing myself everyday at the gym which may seem as a near death experience. And that’s a good workout for me.
Any phobias? I used to be afraid of heights, but I am not anymore
How do you push yourself to workout and not procrastinate? I do not procrastinate, for me working out is a part of my lifestyle and my being.
One word to describe your beautiful wife? Divine