Get Fit With Tips From Deepika Padukone’s Trainer, Farhan Dhalla
Farhan Dhalla went from physiotherapist to world-renowned fitness presenter to training Bollywood stars. I got the chance to speak with Farhan about how he got his Bollywood break, and what Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone uses to keep her focused on fitness.
Farhan, tell us a bit about what you do.
My career started as a physiotherapist and fitness professional. I was a Canadian Reebok
Master Trainer. I appeared on the series “In Shape With Sharon Mann” for seven seasons and I’ve been a fitness presenter speaking at fitness conventions worldwide. But for years I felt incomplete existing in a physical world while living a closeted spiritual one. As an intuitive, angel therapist, and medium I realized that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We can’t separate our spirits from our bodies. So I merged my professional spiritual and physical careers into the pathway that I now call Spiritual Personal Training. I work with people from the inside out to create lasting and effective transformation not just in their bodies, but in every aspect of their lives.
How did you connect with Deepika Padukone and become her personal trainer?
Deepika’s trainer in India is a friend of my cousin in Los Angeles – they even wrote a book together called “Sculpt and Shape: The Pilates Way.” When Deepika was coming to Toronto to shoot XXX The Return of Xander Cage, she needed a trainer to work with her. My cousin referred me and the rest is history.
What is your number one rule for working with a celebrity, or someone in the public eye?
Maintaining a client’s privacy is the most important tool in building trust. I work deeply
with each client. We don’t just go the gym and workout. We explore everything that is happening in their lives and apply the workout to create a desired outcome, physical and beyond. This requires some personal input from each client and they have to be able to trust me to go there.
What was the best part about working with Deepika?
Deepika is one of the most focused people I have ever worked with. I’ve worked with world-class athletes, Canadian Olympians and gold medalists from many different sports on an international level. Deepika has a similar focus to those athletes. She applies what she calls her “Three D’s” to everything she does: Dedication, Discipline and Determination. I could really see this in her workouts, and it was so inspiring.
What do you make of the public’s obsession with trying to look like celebrities?
No one should aspire to look like anyone else. We should encourage people to celebrate
their uniqueness. Not loving ourselves for who we are is what can make us sick and lead to disease. This is the message I want people reading this to really know. If today you don’t have the body you want, love your body anyway. You can’t fix the outside without fixing the inside. It never works. Nurturing our bodies begins with self-love. From here, a true transformation is possible. You can only have a positive outcome from a positive intention. This is the basis of my practice and what I call Spiritual Personal Training.
What’s next for you?
I’d love to work more in the Bollywood industry, and that’s what I’m looking forward to now. Follow me on twitter @Farhandhalla and on Facebook (Farhan Dhalla) to see what I’m up to!