'Shah Rukh Khan pushed his body to breaking point for Pathaan': director Siddharth Anand

Pathaan director Siddharth Anand opened up about Shah Rukh Khan's physical transformation in Pathaan. He revealed their first meeting before the film.
Shah Rukh Khan is all set to bring back his magic on-screen in his action avatar in Pathaan. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham. After the successful teaser-trailer release, the director has revealed how Shah Rukh worked on his beefed-up physic with determination for the action-packed film. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan says he took fitness tips from Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Tiger Shroff during lockdowns.
Siddharth Anand in a new statement said, “Shah Rukh Khan has pushed his body to breaking point for Pathaan. So, with all the love that he is getting for Pathaan’s teaser, he deserves all that and much more. I remember when I first met him on Pathaan, we discussed how physically challenging it will be for him and he was game from the get-go and it shows on screen.”

He added, “He wanted the adrenaline rush and he wanted the audience to feel the same on-screen through him. The way he built his body, the insane training that he has done to pull off the extremely dangerous stunts, the dangerous terrains and climatic conditions into which he has thrown his body, and the commitment that he has shown to give India its biggest action spectacle is incredibly commendable. The way he has endured all the pain to pull off the action that we had designed, is unbelievable. There is no one like Shah Rukh Khan and you have to wait to see the film to witness the intensity with which he has approached the film.”

Earlier, Shah Rukh revealed he turned to Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Tiger Shroff for fitness pointers during the Covid-19 lockdown. He began filming Pathaan in early 2021 when public places like gyms and fitness centers remained shut. He said at an event, “Covid happened and it's been three years. I did not know what to do. I used to wake up in the morning, my mornings were usually late Once I woke up, I'd go to the gym for 30-45 mins. But due to the quarantine rules, no trainer was allowed. So I'd google the exercises that I could do. Or I would call big stars Salman Bhai, Tiger, and Hrithik for suggestions to do something. I'd ask them ‘can I do this, can I do that.”

Pathaan will release on Jan 25, 2023, in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Shah Rukh was last seen in Zero.