I was scared as I don’t look like a wrestler: Anushka Sharma

Mumbai: Actress Anushka Sharma was initially scared while doing Salman Khan-starrer “Sultan” as she felt that she did not look like a wrestler. “Earlier, I was very scared as I don’t look like a wrestler. We have a perception that wrestlers are of a particular size. I used to often question producer Aditya Chopra how can this happen (looking like a wrestler),” Anushka told reporters at the trailer launch of “Sultan” last evening.

“But when I did some research I found out that there were people internationally who looked like me,” she said.

She did not want to use a body-double in the film.

“I learnt the moves and the technical way of doing it
(wrestling). I am very happy I did it as now if I see wrestling, I will come to know how it happens. I am grateful for the opportunity. I was sure we will not use body-double. I felt if I have learnt something, I want to show it properly. I worked hard and I am happy I got to do it,” she said.

Her co-star Salman Khan interrupted and said in a lighter vein that Anushka is a trained wrestler now.

For the 28-year-old “PK” actress, getting close to someone and fighting was uncomfortable.

“I think as an actor and as a girl you are not used to having someone so close. In the beginning I used to feel very uncomfortable,” she said.

“When I saw lot of videos I realised that you have to go all into it and do it correctly. I went for it and did not care about anything,” she said.

To get into the skin of her character of a wrestler, Anushka learnt a few things.

“I had a good team of trainers. I was prepared before the start of shooting for the film. Luckily, there were no injuries. But injuries can happen if someone is fighting or wrestling the whole life,” she said.

The “NH-10” actress got six weeks time to prepare for the film and she is glad everything went on smoothly.

“The kind of work that goes into wrestling is something we had not seen before, I am happy I got to experience it in fragments. It has been a good experience and I am going to hold it close to my life,” she said.

For the first time Salman and Anushka will be seen romancing each other. But, the actress insists their on screen love story is quite different.

“It’s the story of two wrestlers, they understand the ups and downs of each other as they are in the same profession. My character in the film says – in life if you start focusing on one thing too much you forget important things. So their love story goes up and down and how it affects his life,” she added.

PTI