Upen Patel

Guess what Upen Patel was up to in the past few months? After wrapping up the shoot of his forthcoming film Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, the hunk joined a bootcamp in Thailand to learn Muay Thai — a martial art for which the hands, shins, elbows and knees are used extensively. Being a huge fan of martial arts, Upen wanted to learn this form to improve his fitness. “The place was like a prison where I had no contact with the outside world. I had to wake up at six in the morning and do some strenuous training including running for around eight km,” says the hottie, who is looking fitter than ever before. He even gave BT a breathtaking demo of his new martial art prowess. A self-confessed foodie, Upen now maintains a high protein, lowcarb diet and works out for 45 minutes in the gym every day.


Upen has also polished his Hindispeaking skills, lately. The actor, who was panned by critics for speaking the language with a heavy English accent, now boasts, “ Main achhi Hindi bol leta hoon.”


He was last seen in One Two Three, which flopped at the box office. “I’ve become choosy now. I’ve rejected around 20 films because I didn’t like the roles. I don’t have a Khan or a Kapoor behind me and I have no godfather in the industry. I want to do only those films that help me grow as an actor,” says Upen, who has three releases slated for this year. “From now on, you will see a more action-packed Upen. I made a few wrong choices and I’ve also got fooled in the bargain. But now I’ve matured,” says the actor, who hopes to impress the audiences with his acting skills. “I’ll definitely make a mark in Bollywood one day,” he says with a new found confidence that has come, perhaps, with his recent expertise in the Thai martial art.