A Body Of Work

How Ram Charan Got His Banging Physique

- Sharan Sanil

When Ram Charan signed on for the upcoming sports-action flick Peddi, he needed a physical transformation that felt real. Not gym-shredded or aesthetic for the sake of it, but grounded, resilient, and ready to take a hit. Enter Shivoham Bhatt, the Mumbai-based trainer best known for introducing crossfit to Mumbai back in the 2000s, and sculpting bodies from Ranbir Kapoor to Aamir Khan for the big screen. “This wasn't about building a six-pack,” Shivoham says. “We wanted something raw. Something functional.”

Below, Shivoham breaks down what went into prepping Charan’s physique post-RRR—from injury prevention and mobility work to the mental recalibration that separates vanity from performance.

Let's talk about Ram Charan. How did that conversation even begin?

That was a very crazy conversation [laughs]. My wife Vrinda taught me manifestation, and I absolutely 100 per cent practice it and believe in it. We were just talking one day, saying, “You know what? We've trained literally every single name in Bollywood, but what about the South?” She said, “Let's see.” And maybe a week, two weeks later—maybe a month—I get a call from Ram Charan’s manager saying he wants to meet me. This was early 2024. I think we spoke in December and planned to meet in January. But just two days before I was going to meet him, Mahesh Babu's team also called. I ended up speaking to both, but eventually Ram's team finalised first. That's how manifestation works.

When you started training Ram, was there a specific film or look you were working towards?