Riteish takes the unfamiliar path

Ever since Salman Khan started taking off his shirt, and displaying more biceps than expressions on his face, more and more Bollywood heroes followed suit. Like Hrithik Roshan, who was actually helped out by Salman, and of course the big bad boy, Sanjay Dutt.

But nearly all others, like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, John Abraham,even Zayed Khan and now Saif Ali Khan, trotted off on the gyming trip and became fitness freaks in keeping with the times, too.

The surprise package was when 43-year-old Shahrukh Khan took three months off and hit his fans between their eyes with his six-packs abs for the item song in Om Shanti Om. Ever since six-packs has become the buzzword in Bollywood.

But while all his friends and peers are busy building up beefcake, and plastering six-packs on their torsos, actor Riteish Deshmukh, best known, for his performances in ensemble-cast comedies, is doing the exact opposite!

Riteish we learn is working out, sure - but to lose weight. Apparently, that's just what's needed for his title role in Sujoy Ghosh's Aladdin.

"Riteish is supposed to look like a very young boy. So, he's on this lose-weight assignment. Put a satchel on his back and he's going to look just like a school boy," says an insider admiringly. No six-packs for Riteish, but now that's going to be one great back-pack for him!