Ali Fazal is ‘training, eating’ like a wrestler to portray Guddu Bhaiya in ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’
Mumbai: To reprise his role as Guddu Bhaiya in the movie adaptation of the series ‘Mirzapur,’ actor Ali Fazal has dived into his family roots of “pehelwani and kushti” to build strength and muscles.
Speaking about this unique preparation, a source close to Ali told IANS: “Guddu Bhaiya is a beast in his own right, and he wanted to approach him, this time with the same authenticity that his ancestors brought to their craft.”
“His family has a long history in Pehelwani, and he grew up watching the discipline, the grit, and the sheer physical power it demands. So instead of gulping down endless protein shakes, he is going back to those roots training like a wrestler, eating like a wrestler,” the source added.
Ali is reportedly leaning on his family’s time-honoured recipes, rich in natural proteins, ghee, milk, and seasonal produce to support his diet, giving his transformation a homegrown touch.
Reflecting on his current fitness routine, Ali told IANS: “The idea is to build a body that’s not just for show but one that can truly fight, endure, and dominate, just like Guddu would. This is my way of bringing a fresher, fiercer Guddu to the screen.”
Talking about the crime-thriller series “Mirzapur”, The story follows Akhandanand “Kaleen” Tripathi, a crime boss and businessman who is the proverbial ruler of Mirzapur district in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh state in India.
In the first season, the main cast features Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyendu Sharma, Vikrant Massey, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Harshita Gaur and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
The second season retains the principal cast from the first season, excluding Massey and Pilgaonkar, with a new cast consisting of Vijay Varma, Isha Talwar, Lilliput, Anjum Sharma, Priyanshu Painyuli, Anangsha Biswas and Neha Sargam.
The series was filmed mostly across Uttar Pradesh, primarily shot in Mirzapur, and other locations including Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Lucknow, Raebareli, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi.