We have seen Akshay Kumar in a whole new avatar in the 2.0 trailer. He plays a super villain in the film and is seen sporting spikes from head to toe, long nails and big, sharp teeth. His look has been the talk of the town since the posters released. But behind that avatar lay endless hours of effort put in not just by the prosthetic team but also Akshay himself.
In an interview ahead of the film’s launch on 29 November, Akshay said that the most difficult part was sitting quietly in one place for three-and-a-half hours each day while three people worked on his body. Though he is a patient man, this experience further mellowed him down. But the task didn’t end there. After the shoot, he would have to sit for another two-and-a-half hours to get each piece removed from his body. He said that repeating this procedure over 38 to 40 days was painful.
"When you are shooting with prosthetics all over your body, the pores on your skin can't breathe because there is no oxygen since your whole body is packed. So, for the five to six hours that I used to shoot, all the sweat used remain inside my body. When they use to remove the whole thing, I used to smell of sweat,” he explained.
Adding to his discomfort was that fact that he was not allowed to eat.
You were not allowed to eat after putting on prosthetics because your body has to be intact, as the bodysuit has been made according to your size. Plus you have to be on liquid diet. Only milkshakes, juices and water were allowed.Akshay Kumar, Actor
Despite the challenges he faced, Akshay couldn’t help but be fascinated when he saw his impressive look for the first time.
When I saw myself in that get up for the first time, I kept on clicking selfies. My family was with me, so kept on clicking selfies with my wife with my children.Akshay Kumar
2.0 will see Akshay star opposite Rajinikanth. The film is directed by Shankar and is a sequel to 2010’s Enthiran (Robot).
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