CHENNAI: Actor ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, who played the role of a bodybuilder in director S Shankar’s 2015 magnum opus I, received A lot of recognition for his realistic portrayal of the character. In real life, S Bhaskaran’s achievements did not get any recognition. He had won gold in the Asian and World Championship last year.
But better late than never. The Tamil Nadu muscle man’s feat received acknowledgement in the form of the Arjuna award last week. The 41-year-old is a rare recipient of this award from the discipline of bodybuilding. From being a class nine dropout who took to carpentry to make ends meet, his tale is an inspiration for those battling adversities in life. “It is a proud moment for me and the sport. I am sure this award will motivate youngsters to take up bodybuilding,’’ said an elated Bhaskaran. He has worked hard to reach where he is today and his is a rags to riches story.
“I hail from Thoothukudi. After quitting studies, I worked as a carpenter. Side by side, I was also into bodybuilding. I have been rigorously tuning my body for the sport from the age of 17,’’ he recollected. What began as a fad to stay fit turned into passion.
“I began bodybuilding not to show off or something like that. I chose this to stay healthy and it later became my passion. In 1999, I won a Chennai district-level championship which was my first major victory. A year later, I won a South India level championship. This effort landed me a job in the Integral Coach Factory.”
For the last seven to eight years, Bhaskaran has been training under M Arasu and his fitness levels have improved. “I have been training at the gym of Arasu. From the time I joined him, I have improved by leaps and bounds. I have been able to raise that bar and it has increased my confidence too,’’ he said.
Arasu, who is also the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Amateur Bodybuilding Association, has words of praise for his star pupil. “He is a dedicated person. He is sincere in his approach to the sport and wants to raise the bar. He is a quick learner and wants to go for gold. This positive mindset has helped him at the Asian and world level,” said Arasu.
Bhaskaran believes the youth today are fitness conscious, which augurs well for the sport. “Tamil Nadu is No 1 in bodybuilding in the country. Youngsters are health conscious and it is a matter of time before they win medals.”