Real to reel

Guru Mann

It's one thing to turn up for a look test when you are set to portray an individual for a cinematic adaptation, and another when that individual is, in fact, you. As fate would have it, Guru Mann found himself braving an ironic situation. When the offer to play himself in a film based on his life came his way, he wondered if he had the acting chops to pull it off. "But the makers had seen my YouTube videos, and were convinced that I could do so. I had to undergo a look test though," he says matter-of-factly.

The fitness influencer, who boasts a whopping 6.3 million follower-count, is considered one of the early wellness enthusiasts to have leveraged social media to make a name for himself. It was a chance encounter with a foreigner at a gym that turned his attention towards the need for a fitness platform in India. "She came to me and said she liked my skin colour and athleticism. She asked if I was Italian or Middle Eastern, and was surprised to learn that I belonged to India. I recall, she said that while she meant well, she had never seen an Indian who was as fit as I was. I was upset to hear that, but when I did my research, I realised that India was the top country [on a list of] countries with health issues, and that by 2030, we will be the sickest country in the world. That is when I started working on the mission in India," says Mann, who upon his arrival in the country in 2014, found support in T-Series to create his channel.

His October 27 release, Pagalpan Next Level, will be a dramatic unfolding of his growth in the industry, and his father's resistance towards his choice of profession. "It depicts my journey from being a part-time personal trainer to becoming the richest Indian trainer in the world."

Mann admits his channel touches upon unconventional topics - often the kind that would irk medical professionals. His take on a link between bread and cancer, or a discussion on spot reduction are those that instantly come to mind. "I am a science student as well. I have studied nutrition science and human anatomy at California State University. Doctors study medicine. They don't study human anatomy. That's a very different field. My study was in anatomy and functionality," he says,
making a case for himself, and asserting that his videos are aimed at empowering viewers about substances that have been banned in India.