Arjun Kapoor turns lean and muscular for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat. See his prep pic

Arjun Kapoor, who has commenced work on his next film Panipat, has slowly but steadily transformed his appearance to suit his role. Rumoured to be playing a character called Maratha commander-in-chief Sadashiv Rao Bhau, Arjun seems to be getting into a more muscular and lean avatar.

The actor shared a picture of himself at the gym and wrote: “Back to Mumbai, Back 2 Basics !!! @shivohamofficial #panipatprep #fridayfeels #back2back #trainingday.”

In the picture we see Arjun flexing his muscles while doing a back exercise; wearing a black track bottom with a sleeveless T-shirt.

It may be recalled that director Ashutosh Gowariker’s Panipat is based on the Third Battle of Panipat between Maratha forces and invading army of Ahmed Shah Abdali, king of Afghanistan, supported by two Indian allies - the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh.

The film’s shoot began in November and at that time too, Arjun had shared a picture and written on Instagram: “Embarking on a journey like never before.. with Ashu sir & our entire team. #Panipat #PanipatShootBeginsToday.”

The film’s tagline says ‘The Great Betrayal’ implying that someone betrayed the Indian forces, which led to the halt of the march of Marathas and eventual rise of the British in India.

Arjun, meanwhile, often shares pictures from his gym routine. He will also be sporting a different handlebar moustache in the film and has shared some pictures of his look on Instagram.

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Speaking about his choice of Arjun, Gowariker had earlier said, “What impresses me most about Arjun, apart from his fine performances - is his dynamism. He has played double roles twice, and he has portrayed an action hero as well as a lover boy.”

Panipat also stars Kriti Sanon who will play Parvati Bai, wife of Sadashiv while Sanjay Dutt will reportedly be seen in the role of the Afghan king.

Arjun is otherwise also in news for his rumoured relationship with actor Malaika Arora. They are often spotted on dinner dates or at parties thrown by their mutual friends.

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