The Chennai bred six-pack!

Tamil cinema seems to be waking up to the idea of having gym toned men flaunting their assets onscreen. Hitherto, while women pranced about in scanty and barely-there outfits during song sequences shot in snow capped mountains or sweltering deserts alike, men have had the privilege to walk around (or dance, as the case may be) dressed from head to toe.

However, tossing hypocrisy and the unwritten rules of the Tamil cinema bible about men not having to require a well-exercised physique out of the window, we will soon witness the first of its kind Chennai bred six-pack abs. Of somebody whom one can least expect and who has carved a niche with his 'good boy next door' looks and roles. Hold your breath! It is Surya.

We really have no clue if Surya took a cue from Shah Rukh's six pack abs for Om Shanti Om, but he sure is on his way to become the first protagonist of Tamil cinema to shed a few pounds of flab and his shirt to showcase a


chiseled look. And what is more surprising is the fact that the usually shy and diffident Surya has undergone stringent diet and gym routines to acquire this look.

Surya recently revealed his looks to a tabloid letting a sneak peek of his rippling muscles. His six packs will debut for the Gautam Menon directed Vaaranam Aayiram where he is said to play the role of a school going boy (you heard it right!) who goes on to become a macho man in the second half. Surya underwent the rigorous dietary and workout routine for about four months building up his muscles without seeking the help of steroids or enhancement pills. Alkhas, actor Aamir Khan's trainer is behind Surya's workout and diet routine and the results are more than satisfactory.

Surya also disclosed that he would retain the looks for his next venture Ayan that went on floors recently. This precisely means that the actor would have to follow his egg whites few slices of brown bread green vegetables diet and more hours of workouts at the gym. He already seems to have sacrificed his favorite mom's homemade delicacies and not to mention, his share of Jyothika's chocolate brownie dessert while eating out with her. After all, being a trendsetter has its own ups and downs.

Tamil cinema has always branded muscled hunks as villains (remember Riyaz Khan?) and considered those looks to be mean. For that matter, South India always preferred its heroes and heroines to be rotund - a whole different meaning for being healthy. In Telugu though, Allu Arjun seems to be redefining the rules by baring his torso to show off his rippled muscles.
Who knows, Surya's six packs could evince interest among his colleagues and some day Tamil cinema will make six pack abs a mandate for debutants.