Ashish Raghava has been receiving praise for his performance in The Pyramid Scheme, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The actor has impressed viewers with his portrayal in the series, and his commitment to the role went beyond just his performance. To suit the character’s requirements, Ashish also underwent a physical transformation and gained weight.
Interestingly, unlike many actors who find such transformations demanding, Ashish admitted that putting on extra kilos was never a difficult task for him. Being a confessed foodie, he looked at the process very differently.
“Putting on weight has never been a challenge for me. I am a foodie, and I love to eat. So when the directors told me that I had to put on weight, I was not stressed about it at all,” said Ashish, who was also seen as the lead in Star Plus’ show Tod Kar Dil Mera.
While gaining weight came naturally to him, Ashish revealed that one concern did cross his mind. He knew that shedding the extra weight later would require much more effort and discipline.
“The only thing I was a little stressed about was that later I would have to work a lot on myself to lose that weight. But during the first half of the process, gaining weight was not physically or mentally draining in any way. I was actually enjoying it.”
The actor’s current challenge, however, is very different. Now that the show has been released, he is focused on returning to his usual fitness level. According to Ashish, that part of the journey is proving to be much tougher.
“Now, when I am trying to lose weight, I have to work really hard. I have to avoid the food that I love, and that is very difficult for me because I genuinely love eating. I just can’t stop myself sometimes.”
Ashish added that sticking to a strict routine and staying away from his favourite dishes has been the most demanding aspect of the transformation.
“So yes, right now it is a bit hectic. But once it’s done and I am back to my normal weight, I’ll start enjoying my food again.”
For Ashish, gaining weight for The Pyramid Scheme was the easy part. Getting back in shape, he says, is where the real work has begun.
