'Soorma' physically demanding film: Diljit

Actor Diljit Dosanjh pushed himself to extremes to achieve the physique of an athlete for "Soorma", an upcoming biopic on hockey player Sandeep Singh.

"Soorma" tells the story of Singh, a professional hockey player and former captain of the Indian national team.

Singh was seriously injured after hit by an accidental gunshot in a train in 2006 but he did not give up and continued playing.

Diljit, who essays Singh in the film, not only got trained by the former captain but also underwent a physical transformation to look like him.

In an interview with PTI, the actor said, "The role was extremely draining with so much intense training. Physically, it was very tough. I had a lot of problems post shooting the film. When I was shooting, I had stopped consuming sugar, I used to eat salt very less".

The "Udta Punjab" actor says once the shoot was over, his body started reacting a bit negatively.

"Because we wanted the physique of an athlete in a very short time, I pushed my body a lot to achieve that result. When the film got over and I started eating normally, I got swelling on my hands, face and all over the body.

"There was a reaction. When you reduce the intake of salt, the water in your body doesn't stay and you get cramps," he said.

Diljit, 34, has no qualms about it and says a film like that required him to push limits.

Directed by Shaad Ali, the film also features Taapsee Pannu as Diljit's onscreen love interest.