Fawad Khan: ‘I went from a horse to rhino in a matter of one and a half months for TLOMJ’

The Legend of Maula Jatt has been creating cinema history with its blockbuster demand worldwide. Fawad Khan appeared muscular like a wrestler who looked elegant in braided hair. 

Although it takes effort to remodel the physique, Khan was able to accomplish it despite he was taken to hospital when his ‘kidneys collapsed’. 

The Kapoor and Sons actor stated that gaining 100 kg in a month and a half after going from 75 kilograms was "perhaps the most strenuous thing" he has ever completed in his career in an interview with Rolling Stone India. Along with learning a new language, he also had to change physically.

Due to his type one diabetes condition since the age of 17, Khan had to suffer massively during his transformation. “Any kind of transformation, even when it comes to changing my diet and lifestyle, has a profound effect on my health and my physiology. And this was something else. I mean, I went from a horse to rhino in a matter of one and a half months,” he said.

The Zindagi Gulzar Hai actor jumped right in it without pondering the repercussions. “Call it bravery or being stupid on my part, but I think it paid off in the end, didn’t it?”

When the interviewer remarked on Khan's biceps in the movie, Khan explained that the public anticipates a strong hero with Greek god-like attributes. "This man is only a Punjabi pehlwan prizefighter. And that would be my classification of his body. He is brute force, a rock. He is not a sculpture,” he added.

He was questioned about the sole red braid in his hair as the interviewer shifted the conversation to another part of his appearance. Khan explained that they preferred Maula to resemble a fakir from a barbaric culture. 

Though it appeared cool, he subsequently regretted it as it came back to actually and repeatedly hit him in the face. “Adding a tassel in his hair with a red ribbon was probably one of the dumbest suggestions I could have made because during the fight scenes it would come and whack me in the face… There was like this long a piece of metal that was tied to the ribbon and to the lock of hair.”

Khan claimed that it was a part of his hair and every time he lay down, the weight of it would tug on his head, causing him to feel dizzy. “Even when I would lie down, there would be a separate pillow for my hair. No, I’m just kidding [laughs]! It would be lying on my side [gestures, as if caressing a companion sharing his pillow] you couldn’t just let it hang… I had weight.”

Even with the difficulties his weighted braid caused, it was still preferable than his second idea, which was to have one of his eyelids stitched shut. He wanted to show off how tough he was, winning tremendous battles and leaving behind horrifying wounds. Fortunately, they decided to focus on the scar on his cheek.