Imran Khan recalls not having a 'heroic physique': Would hear 'the heroine looks bigger than you'

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Imran Khan's treasure of interesting anecdotes has opened once again, treating fans to motivational and inspiring tales. The actor, who is reportedly on the brink of a comeback, shared his struggle with attaining a 'heroic physique'. He recalled how people called him 'weak' and said the 'heroine looks bigger than him'.

Imran started his note by saying, "I've always been skinny. I'm one of those hyper-metabolic people, my body just burns through whatever I consume. Oh no, what a terrible affliction! In my late teens, guys around me started joining gyms and working out. They started to expand, their biceps stretching the sleeves of their t-shirts. I wore a size S, and my sleeves were still loose. I didn't need to be muscular to play Jai Singh Rathore... but I was convinced that I was too skinny, which is why Jai mostly wears two layers of clothing throughout Jaane Tu. For my next film, Kidnap, I hit the gym in earnest, and began my journey with body building."

He added, "Over the next few years, the sculpting and maintenance of my body became part of my lifestyle. I worked out regularly, but still I would hear "So... you'll bulk up a bit before we start shooting, right?"; "You're looking weak", "You look like a little boy, not a man", and "The heroine looks bigger than you" (ouch for both of us!). In hindsight, I think I looked fine... but at the time, I felt insecure. I wanted a powerful, heroic physique. So I tried harder."

Sharing his workout and diet routine, Imran wrote, "Exercise means nothing without nutrition; 6 meals a day, totalling 4000 calories. Chicken breast, egg whites, sweet potato, oats, flax seeds... all good stuff, but still not enough to make my biceps look like the heroes I saw onscreen. No, for that I needed to supplement with whey protein, creatine, leucine, glutamine, L-carnitine... and ultimately, even anabolic steroids. Shock and horror! We're not supposed to admit that part out loud, it could totally ruin the illusion!"

A few years ago, Imran made public appearances after a long time. His drastic weight loss led to several speculations. Addressing that, Imran said, "In recent years, as I battled depression and stopped working out, I became skinnier than I'd ever been. When I was photographed, it sparked a media discussion about my wellbeing, and speculations of drug abuse! I felt deeply ashamed, embarrassed to be seen by anyone in this state. So I retreated further."

Motivating his fans, the actor concluded the note by writing, "It's been an uphill journey, but these days I'm doing better than ever; I exercise with my old friend @tokastraining who puts my health first and only feeds me supplements like walnuts and turmeric... seriously. And while I'm still a tad jealous of those dudes with superhero muscles... I don't feel bad about myself."

We cannot wait to see Imran back on the silver screen.