"RCB being underdogs left their mark in IPL": Janhvi Kapoor heaps praise on Virat Kohli for 'reinventing his game'

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 : Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who was seen cheering during a clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League 2024 Eliminator, heaped praises on former skipper Virat Kohli and his team for their remarkable journey in the tournament.
Janhvi is gearing up to enthral audiences with her upcoming Sharan Sharma directorial 'Mr and Mrs Mahi,' alongside RajKummar Rao.
During promotions in Jaipur, Rajasthan on Thursday, the actor praised the RCB team and also revealed who she is supporting in the summit clash after now that her favourite teams Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were knocked out of the IPL 2024.
She said, "I was supporting Mumbai Indians as I am from Mumbai. We all are big fans of Dhoni so we were supporting CSK. Yesterday, Virat sir played and how he reinvented his game. The way RCB from being underdog they made their mark in IPL. However, we all wanted them to win, unfortunately, it didn't happen. There is a relationship with KKR because our coach in the film, Abhishek Nayar, trained with him for 2 years. He is the assistant coach of KKR. I know he has worked so hard for his team. So of course I would like to see his team succeed."
For the IPL 2024 final, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have already sealed their place in the summit clash while Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) for a last spot in the championship contest.
The murmured chants of 'Ee Sala Cup Namde' drown out into the neighbouring Sabarmati river as RCB fans are forced to lick their wounds once again as they were knocked out of the tournament by RR with a 4-wicket defeat.
Recently, Janhvi also shed light on the arduous journey she embarked on to step into the shoes of her character, Mahi, a doctor turned cricketer.
With the trailer already released, excitement is building among fans. During the promotion, Janhvi revealed the strenuous preparation she underwent for her role, which involved rigorous strength training and a demanding fitness regimen.
The 27-year-old actor shared, "I wasn't very radiant while shooting for this film. When I started preparing for this film, I was promoting 'Good Luck Jerry'. I was possibly shooting for 'Mili' and I was about 8-9 kilos heavier. Sharan was very stressed and told me that I didn't look like a cricketer. He said if I really wanted to do this film, I needed to start losing weight and begin cricket training."
This marked the beginning of an intense transformation for Janhvi. Her daily routine was packed with physical training, guided by her coach, Abhishek Nair.
"My daily routine was very intense. I was at the peak of my training, and my coach, Abhishek Nair, said that the training I was undergoing was more intense as what they did with their IPL players," Janhvi elaborated.
She also shared that her training routine included gruelling sessions in the nets with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) players, strength training, conditioning, cardio, and cricket practice spanning over five to six hours every day.
Janhvi's commitment to her role led her to adopt a strict low-carb diet, causing noticeable changes in her physique that even her fellow filmmakers couldn't overlook.
"I used to wake up in the morning and practice in the nets with the KKR players, who he had recruited. We would practice there for 2 hours. Then I would go to Bandra for strength training, conditioning, and cardio, which took about an hour. After that, I would attend meetings. If there was a shoot, I would go for the shoot, and after wrapping up, I would practice for another 2 hours at a ground in Bandra. So yeah, it was almost 5-6 hours of physical training every day. I was following a very low-carb diet and shooting simultaneously for other projects," she said.
"My other directors and producers were getting very upset because I kept losing weight. I remember going to one schedule of the 'Bawaal' set, and Nitesh sir looked at me and said, 'You've become so thin.' I was also shooting for 'Devara' for two days, and everyone remarked that I didn't look as glowing as I used to and that I looked tired. This was all during the course of this film, and I think it went on for a while. But now, I'm starting to feel like myself again, and of course, each of these challenges will take me through a longer process," Janhvi shared.
'Mr and Mrs Mahi' marks Janhvi's second collaboration with director Sharan Sharma, who previously helmed 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl.'
The film also reunites her with Rajkummar Rao, following their successful pairing in 'Roohi.'
Backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, the film is set to hit theatres on May 31.