Why is Ranvir Shorey looking so out of shape these days? After looking lean and hungry, lugging Mallika Sherawat around for "Ugly Aur Pagli", Ranvir has been gorging on bananas, rice, potatoes and chocolates and guzzling beer for his next film... and fast.

Writer-director-actor Rajat Kapoor who plays a mentorial role in Ranvir's career has put poor Shorey in a quandary. Ranvir has been asked to put on at least 12 kg, and fast, to play the protagonist in "A Rectangular Love Story".

Everyone knows Ranvir Shorey thinks the world of actor-director Rajat Kapoor and can't say no to him, no matter what.

"Rajat wanted me to put on weight fast for his new film. This came up when I was still shooting 'Ugly Aur Pugli' where I needed to look leaner than I usually am. So there I was gaining weight for one role while I needed to look leaner for another."

At last count Ranvir has already lost 12 kg for Rajat's film. "And still losing some fast. He's someone for whose film I can go more than an extra mile."

The last actor who put on weight for an author-backed title role was Abhishek Bachchan for Mani Ratnam's "Guru". "I've been first-hand witness to Abhishek trying frantically to add tyres around his waist gorging on sandwiches and pastries," he said.

"I know that feeling," Ranvir grins, rubbing his swollen belly. "The worrisome part is I'll have to lose all this weight after 'A Rectangular Love Story' in August. I planned my schedules so there would be time for quick gain and loss of weight."

For Abhishek it wasn't easy to shed the "Guru" girth.

"I've given myself a year to get completely in shape," Ranvir says, fingers crossed.

As for "Ugly Aur Pagli", Ranvir maintains he enjoyed that very much. "It was a lot of fun. And though Mallika and I had our differences it was finally a scream."

The specially difficult part for Ranvir was dancing. "I had never done filmy dancing before. And I was nervous. There was no time to rehearse. I went and did whatever I could. Believe me I was more nervous dancing than cycling down Mumbai in a petticoat or gaining so much weight for Rajat's film."