Rajkummar Rao runs miles to get a shot right in 5 Weddings

Actor Rajkummar Rao might not be marked as one of the fittest actors in the industry, but he seems to be bent on changing the image. The actor refused to use a stand-in to step in for a shot that required him to run two miles repeatedly on full trot. The actor's effortless ability to run left even his director surprised. 

A film that revolves around a journalist who decides to travel to India and cover Indian marriages for her magazine, 5 Weddings is a story that’s a true mix of fun and substance.  

The journalist, played by Nargis Fakhri, lands up into mishaps and trouble as she is intrigued by and explores the Hijra society in India. 

The shoot, set at the Chandigarh airport, required Rajkummar to run for at least two miles. Despite director Namrata Gujral insisting that he use a stand-in for repeated takes, the actor chose to do the entire running himself. 

The surprising element lay in the fact that the actor did not break a sweat in this process. Director Gujral recalled, "I was like, Raj — just use your stand in. And we will do close-ups with you. Such is his dedication that he wanted to do all the stuff himself. I agree — he must have run for at least two miles at sprint speed between those many takes. The crazy part is this guy had to pretend he was out of breath — he is in such good shape. I would call ‘cut’ and he would go back to normal breathing after just having sprinted for five minutes." 

Explaining the reason for running himself, Rajkummar said, "I prefer to do it myself...it helps me stay in character." 

While it is Akshay Kumar, or Varun Dhawan or Ranveer Singh who take the plaudits in terms of fitness, Rajkummar might be setting a new tone. 

5 Weddings, produced by Hollywood based Uniglobe Entertainment, will be out in 52 countries on 26 October 2018.