Gyms and power drinks popular among Bollywood stars

Bhopal, Mar 28 (UNI) Bollywood megastars, who attract kudos for their athletic figures and bulging muscles, not only have gymnasia at their homes but also take energy drinks imported from the United States, says a manager who runs gyms in Mumbai, Pune and a few other places.

''Despite that, they prefer to exercise at professional gyms under the guidance of trainers. With time, fans' preferences have changed. Now, rough-and-tough heroes are liked by film buffs, producers and directors. Salman Khan, Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty and Hrithik Roshan have established the image of the macho hero,'' Prashant Chaurasia said.

Cautioning that the absence of a protein-rich diet and trainers' supervision could prove disastrous for a person doing heavy exercise, he claimed that a single power drink costs a whopping Rs 2,000.

''A well-chiseled body has become imperative even for those playing roles in teleseries. Actresses also sweat it out in gyms these days and the tendency has spiralled after beauty queens forayed into Bollywood. Living legend Amitabh Bachchan took to the gym much later in life and leaves an imprint on action scenes to this day,'' Chaurasia pointed out.

Even youth desirous of entering the cineworld spend hours in gyms as that enables them to have a better photo profile for producers and directors.

''Many times, a producer or director sends an actor to a gym with specific demands so that the actor can play a certain role better.

If the actors are unable to find time to come to gyms, portable gyms and trainers are sent to sets. Use of steroids is not new but stars avoid them as they are very health-conscious. Steroids give quick results but have disastrous effects later,'' he warned.

UNI