After Abhishek Bachchan who has lost 14 kgs to look like Mani Ratnam's on -the-run fugitive in his new film, it's Mani's earlier favourite Madhavan who is required to undergo a physical melting-down.

And it's not for the love of Mani. It's for Raj Kumar Hirani.

Apparently, Hirani has asked all his three leading men Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and Madhavan to "look like IIT students."

The interpretation of that instruction has been left to the individual actors. Says a source, "Aamir will lose some of that aggressively muscular look that he has acquired for Ghajini.

He needs too look leaner and more athletic, as he did in Dil Chahta Hai. Playing a student at 40-plus won't be difficult for Aamir. He has done so in Rang De Basanti with great success. Sharman doesn't need to lose any weight. He looks completely in character. Madhavan needs to look more toned."

Madhavan who has temporarily shifted base to Mumbai to seriously pursue a career in Hindi cinema, has taken off for two weeks to Ashford in the UK to work on his physique for the role in 3 Idiots.

Speaking from London Maddy says, "My sister lives here in Ashford and there're very good health clinics here. Whenever I need to change around my metabolism or rework my physique for a role I head for Ashford. And at the moment I'm re-working my physique to look like a student. "

A time -frame has been set for each of the actors to get into the shape they think right for their characters.

Says Madhavan, "It's not about looking thinner or younger. All three of us need to look convincing as IIT students. How we choose to do so has been left to us."

Madhavan returns in two weeks to resume the shooting of Teen Patti which got suspended when the Big B fell ill. He gets emotional. "It was scary how suddenly he took ill. We really don't care about the delay. All we want is for Amitji to be perfectly recovered again."