Jaideep Ahlawat is one committed actor. After delivering excellent performances in movies and series such as Paatal Lok, Raazi and Jaane Jaan, he was most recently seen in Netflix movie Maharaj. In it, he plays Jadunath Maharaj, a powerful nobleman in pre-Independence India who preys one the weak and subjugated. 

A striking before-after

On Monday, Jaideep shared a bunch of pictures from his Maharaj shoot days. He showed how he lost close to 26 kgs for the role in just five months. “From 109.7 Kg. to 83 Kg. in 5 month. That’s the Physical Transformation for the Role of Maharaj. Thank you Prajwal Sir for believing in me @prajwal7542,” Jaideep wrote in his post. The post include before and after pictures of Jaideep. He has a big belly in the picture from five months ago, replaced by a toned upper body and arms in the latest pictures.

His trainer Prajwal also shared a video of Jaideep working out at the gym in full Maharaj costume.

How did he do it?

In an interview with ANI, Jaideep spoke about all that went into the prep for the role. He revealed that he had to get back into shape as he weighed around 104 kgs before preparing for this role.

"So, for almost 5.5 months of intense physical training, because of what JJ is visible on the screen, my trainer, worked very hard on me. We did 3-4 times workouts a day," he recounted, emphasising the significant transformation he underwent for the role.

Jaideep also touched on the broader team effort, stating, "So credit goes to everybody. I'm just an instrument for transforming all those energies created by these people."

Directed by Sidharth P Malhotra and produced by YRF Entertainment, Maharaj features Junaid Khan, in his debut role, alongside Jaideep Ahlawat and Shalini Pandey, with a special appearance by Sharvari. The film is based on true events from pre-independence India and highlights the courage of Karsandas Mulji, a social reformer who challenged the status quo in a landmark legal battle.