When an actor undergoes a physical transformation for a demanding role, the conversation often centres on the workout. But for Taapsee Pannu, preparing for her latest action-thriller film Gandhari involved the challenge of learning to fuel her body through long, physically demanding night shoots.

“During Gandhari, there was a phase when Taapsee had four to five consecutive night shoots, with around 12 hours of shooting action scenes and working through the night. That completely changes the equation. Someone who trains in the morning and sleeps at night has a fairly predictable recovery cycle. With consecutive night shoots, that rhythm is essentially reversed. I had to plan around that change rather than simply follow the same diet and training routine by the clock,” Munmun Ganeriwal, celebrity nutritionist and national best-selling author, told indianexpress.com in an interview.

In the film, Pannu plays the character of a mother who temporarily loses her sight and fights a child-trafficking ring to rescue her daughter.

Meal timing, hydration, supplementation, and training load had to be adjusted according to when she was actually awake, working, and physically exerting herself. “As such, recovery was treated as seriously as training. When you are asking the body to perform repeated high-intensity movements, you cannot look only at what happens inside the gym or on set. Adequate food, hydration, supplementation where required, and sleep all contribute to the body’s ability to recover. And that is something people don’t necessarily see when they watch an action sequence on screen. The preparation isn’t just about making an actor strong enough to perform a stunt. It is about keeping her adequately fuelled and recovered when her body is being asked to perform at a high level at a time when it would normally be sleeping,” said Mumbai-based Ganeriwal.

 

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The objective isn’t just to feel less sore; it is to make sure that the body is sufficiently recovered to perform the next demanding sequence with good movement quality and control, she mentioned.

Ganeriwal’s approach has evolved from viewing nutrition simply in terms of weight or appearance to seeing it as a tool for performance, recovery, energy, and long-term health. “With actors especially, nutrition has to work around an extremely unpredictable lifestyle, so sustainability and flexibility are as important as the food itself,” asserted Ganeriwal.

Why her diet wasn’t just about protein

For an action-heavy role, Ganeriwal shared that nutrition cannot be reduced to a high-protein diet. “Protein was important because of the strength and conditioning requirements, but I didn’t want to make the mistake of looking at protein in isolation. High-intensity action work also requires carbohydrates for energy, adequate fats and micronutrients, hydration and sufficient overall calories. So I would describe it as balanced performance nutrition rather than a high-protein diet alone. The plan also had to be practical enough to work around shooting schedules,” elucidated Ganeriwal.

Since Pannu is a non-vegetarian, chicken breast and fish were important protein sources, along with eggs. “There was also extensive use of moong dal in different forms like soups, cheela and dhokla which gave us an additional, relatively easy-to-digest protein source that could be incorporated without making the meals unnecessarily heavy,” Ganeriwal shared.

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The nutritionist said that rice and millets were included to provide the fuel required for training amid long shooting days. “Peanuts were another convenient source of energy and healthy fats,” added Ganeriwal.

The diet wasn’t about eating extremely “clean” or eliminating an entire food group. “It was about ensuring that she had enough fuel to perform, recover and repeat physically demanding work,” said Ganeriwal.

Ganeriwal believes food should support the life and goals of the person eating it. “I don’t believe in unnecessarily restrictive diets. My food philosophy is strongly centred around gut health, because I believe a healthy and well-supported gut is an important foundation for overall health and performance. The focus is on adequate nourishment, good-quality food, sufficient protein, carbohydrates and fats in the right proportions, hydration, and consistency in eating patterns that support a healthy and balanced gut microbiome,” said Ganeriwal.

Your plate should comprise of carbohydrates too

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Emphasising her belief in Ayurvedic practices, Ganeriwal shared that she likes incorporating traditional Indian ingredients where they have a practical place within an overall nutrition plan. “We used a simple ginger and turmeric tea—fresh ginger and turmeric steeped in hot water as part of her routine. Ginger and turmeric have traditionally been valued for their anti-inflammatory properties, and this was an easy way to incorporate those ingredients into her recovery routine without complicating it. I don’t believe that nutrition for an action role needs to be exclusively Ayurvedic or exclusively sports-science based. There is room to thoughtfully combine traditional food practices with modern nutrition depending on the individual’s requirements,” said Ganeriwal.

Supplemention

Supplementation was used strategically rather than as a substitute for food. “Her protocol included creatine, HMB (hydroxymethylbutyrate), ALA (Alpha-Lipoic Acid), nitric-oxide-supporting supplementation, vitamins, and glutamine, depending on the requirement at different stages. “HMB was particularly relevant from a recovery perspective, while nitric oxide support was used around training to support blood flow and exercise performance. We also used an amino energy drink during the shoot, which she could sip through demanding action schedules. The idea was to complement the diet and training, not to make supplements the foundation of the programme,” said Ganeriwal.

Reflecting on what does “eating for a role” actually mean, from a nutritionist’s perspective, Ganeriwal elaborated that it could mean supporting strength and muscle development, improving endurance, managing body composition or simply maintaining energy through a long schedule. “It doesn’t mean following the extreme diets often portrayed on social media. The goal is to create a nutritional strategy that is specific, measurable and sustainable for the duration of the role,” weighed in Ganeriwal.

All about fitness

What has become more important to her with age — strength, flexibility, mobility or endurance? Ganeriwal, who is also the fitness consultant for Pannu, noted that she wouldn’t pick one over the others. “Strength remains extremely important, but mobility, flexibility, recovery and movement quality become increasingly valuable alongside it. The training has to evolve with the person’s changing requirements rather than chasing the same benchmark forever,” said Ganeriwal.

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Sharing that Pannu has maintained a fairly “consistent approach to fitness over the years”, Ganeriwal detailed her routine which includes strength training around three days a week, while the other days are a mix of activities such as aerial yoga and sports. “She particularly enjoys squash, which adds an element of cardiovascular fitness, agility, coordination and quick changes of direction to her routine,” said Ganeriwal.

For Gandhari, she required a significant focus on strength, conditioning, stamina and the ability to repeatedly perform high-intensity action sequences. “The foundation remains similar, but the emphasis shifts according to what the role demands. For an action-heavy character, strength training becomes more prominent because the body needs to be capable of producing and repeatedly sustaining force. The overall training load can also increase, with greater attention to strength, conditioning, muscular endurance, stability and movement quality,” Ganeriwal noted.

Long association

Reflecting on her more than a decade-long association with Pannu, Ganeriwal expressed how her consistency is probably her biggest strength. “She takes the process seriously and understands that results come from repeatedly doing the basics well. Even when the schedule is unpredictable, she is very committed to getting the work in,” said Ganeriwal.