It
could
be
designated
the
book
of
Weight
and
Humour.
What
happened
to
the
stars
and
the
director
of
the
forthcoming
film
Knock
Out
is
funny
only
to
Priyadarshan
or
any
other
comedy
director
who
might
be
tempted
to
make
a
film
about
the
foodie"s
festival
that
the
sets
of
the
film
had
become
during
shooting.
All
because
of
the
action
director
Allan
Amin
who
turned
out
to
be,
in
the
words
of
Sanjay
Dutt,
the
world"s
best
cook,
his
specialty
being
Bombay
Duck
and
Pomfret
and
a
cross
section
of
continental
cuisine.
The
weight
conscious
stars
and
director
resisted
his
food
fury
and
cuisine
attack
as
much
as
they
could.
Then
it
got
too
much
to
resist.
Says
a
source
from
the
Knock
Out
set,
“No
matter
where
he
went
to
shoot,
Allan
would
set
up
his
makeshift
kitchen
.he
was
constantly
whipping
up
delicious
aromatic
dishes
on
the
sets.
Even
the
strongest
resistance
crumbled
under
the
weight
of
the
aromatic
attack.
Everyone
in
the
cast
was
constantly
tucking
into
the
goodies
laid
out
by
him,
oblivious
of
the
calories
they
added
to
their
build."
Director
Mani
Shankar
who
is
8
kilos
bulkier
after
his
delights
laughs
pleasurably
at
the
culinary
recollection,
“What
you"ve
heard
is
absolutely
true.
He
is
an
extraordinary
gourmet
chef.
We
all
fattened
ourselves
during
his
extended
sittings
on
the
action
storyboard."
For
weeks,
Mani
Shankar
and
his
cast
were
ensconced
in
Allan"s
apartment
in
Mumbai
eating
their
way
through
7
course
meals
prepared
by
the
action
choreographer.
Says
Mani
Shankar,
“The
action
storyboards
were
composed
mainly
in
his
kitchen.
Between
chopping
up
the
garlic
and
peeling
the
potatoes
he
and
I
would
quickly
jot
down
an
action
brainwave
before
the
idea
got
dissolved
in
the
aroma
of
the
spices
and
the
curries."
Intentionally
the
film"s
promo
shows
a
restaurant
where
the
villain
grabs
a
kitchen
knife
and
lunges
at
Sanjay
Dutt.
He
pulls
out
another
knife
and
slashes
back.
Says
Mani
Shankar,
“Food
was
constantly
on
our
minds
because
of
him.
During
shooting
he
would
quickly
conjure
a
master
dish.
Shooting
would
halt
as
me,
Sanju,
Kangana
Ranaut
and
Irrfan
Khan
would
tuck
in
greedily."
While
it
is
not
known
how
much
weight
the
stars
of
Knock
Out
have
gained
the
director
Mani
Shankar
is
desperately
trying
to
lose
all
the
extra
kilos
with
a
strict
diet
of
milk
porridge
and
thinned
lassi.
Incidentally
Kangana
doesn"t
show
an
ounce
extra
no
matter
how
much
she
indulges
in
food.
Says
Mani,
“I"ve
seen
her
tuck
into
chunky
meats
and
gravy.
Not
an
ounce
of
it
reaches
her
thin
frame."