Actor and fitness entrepreneur Vipin Katyal, who was seen in the film Amar Singh Chamkila, has been making his presence known in both the entertainment and fitness industries. He is over the moon because he has a new feather on his cap.
In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Associate Editor Abhishek Ranjith, Vipin talks about his over 20 years of association with fitness, working with Imtiaz Ali in Amar Singh Chamkila and opening a new branch of the popular sports brand in Noida. He also spoke candidly about his plans to continue acting alongside his fitness business.
Here are excerpts from the interview
Q: You have been involved in fitness for many years and Pro Ultimate Gyms is also growing rapidly. What inspired you to take up fitness professionally?
Vipin Katyal: I have been working as an artist for many years now and fitness is one of the parts that we artistes need to take care of. If our fitness or flexibility disappears, it affects our performance. I’ve been doing fitness for the last 15-20 years, more than 20 years actually.
So I never felt like I was entering into a completely different field that I didn’t know about. I was already training regularly, staying in shape, and then going home. The only difference was that I didn’t do it professionally.
Q: What can audiences expect from you after Amar Singh Chamkila? What are your upcoming acting projects?
Vipin Katyal: I want to continue with acting and fitness. I don’t want to leave one thing and do another. Acting is my passion and I have been doing it for about 20 years. I want to continue acting while focusing on fitness. Right now I’m also focusing on building this business because my heart and soul is here.
Q: You worked with Imtiaz Ali in Amar Singh Chamkila. What was your experience working with him and what did you learn from the director?
Vipin Katyal: Working on Amar Singh Chamkila was very special. Collaborating with Imtiaz Ali was a meaningful and valuable experience for me as an actor.
Q: You recently soft-launched a gym. What difficulties did you encounter while setting it up?
Vipin Katyal: We started our soft launch on August 22nd on a trial basis. You will be surprised to know that the electricity and meter came just a day before. We completed all the interior decoration and everything else without electricity.
There were such difficulties, but when a person loves something and it becomes his passion, these difficulties become easier. My passion is acting and theater and fitness is also a part of that because keeping yourself fit is very important. So I never felt like I was doing anything completely different.
Q: There are several fitness brands in India. What sets Pro Ultimate Gyms apart from other fitness brands?
Vipin Katyal: What makes Pro Ultimate Gyms different is that it is India’s own brand. It is also important that they have their own production of machine tools. These cars are manufactured by them.
They also have their own academy where they train their coaches. This way you get everything under one roof. They provide cars, exercise equipment and will even design the entire interior for you. They have their own team.
When we joined them, we never felt like we were coming from another area because we could get everything in one call.
Q: You’ve also talked about making fitness accessible to people of all income levels. How important is this to you?
Vipin Katyal: Membership with many big brands is very expensive. With Pro Ultimate we strive to provide a larger and more spacious gym. We try to fit them into 5,000 square feet and end up with 8,000 square feet. We also provide more features than what is available in the market.
We are making a more spacious gym and keeping the prices lower so that the lower middle class, upper middle class and upper class can easily afford it.
The upper middle class and upper class can afford a good gym, but for the lower middle class, going to a good gym can be difficult. So we brought it for them. We have kept the price very reasonable, similar to what local gyms charge. They take it monthly whereas we take it annually.
For the same price, we give them so many options that they won’t be able to get anywhere. This is our USP.
Question: There are a large number of vegetarians in India. Can vegetarians build a good physique without eating chicken or meat?
Vipin Katyal: Vegetarians are doing equally well now. There is nothing better than saying that you need to eat chicken or meat to build a good body. You can have milk, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, soy and other sources of protein. Plant proteins have also appeared on the market, so humans can also consume them.
It’s not that people who prefer vegetarian food have fewer options. There are many options available.
