Actor Rohit Saraf, who portrays historical freedom fighter Sachindra Nath Sanyal in the Prime Video series 'The Revolutionaries', has revealed that preparing for the role completely transformed his relationship with fitness — and made him eat his own words about motivational content.

The Fitness Transformation

Saraf admitted that he once dismissed fitness and lifestyle quotes on Instagram as hollow platitudes. 'I used to always read these Instagram quotes, you know, fitness is a lifestyle and you know, you become fit and therefore your life changes and it really helps you, it's like therapy for you. I used to believe that it was all garbage and people who have nothing better to say, say that,' the actor said during promotional events for the show in Mumbai on 20 September 2026.

His perspective shifted entirely once the physical demands of playing Sanyal took centre stage. The role required him to embody what the show's creators envisioned as a formidable, physically imposing figure — described as an 'awal pehelwan in his akhada' — despite limited historical records on Sanyal's actual appearance.

How the Character Was Built

Saraf explained that director Nikkhil Advani made a creative decision to portray Sanyal as a man of considerable physical fitness, complete with abs and athletic build. 'Him, because we didn't have enough information about Sachin and what he looked like, Nikhil sir decided that he looks like this man with abs and lots of fitness,' Saraf said. That left the actor with no option but to genuinely achieve that physique rather than simulate it through costume or camera angles.

Notably, Saraf acknowledged that he was already on a personal fitness journey before the role came along, and the project provided a further push. 'Fortunately for me, I was already on the path of becoming fitter in life and this sort of gave me another motivation,' he added.

The Reward Before the Release

Rather than waiting for audience response to feel validated, Saraf said the personal growth he experienced during the shoot was reward enough. 'I feel that I've already been rewarded... the journey has been so enriching for me,' he said, describing the process as deeply fulfilling independent of ratings or reviews.

The comments were made alongside co-stars Pratibha Ranta, Bhuvan Bam, and Gurfateh Pirzada at the show's promotional events.

About the Show

'The Revolutionaries' is produced by Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani under their banner Emmay Entertainment, with the screenplay written by Sanjeev Sanyal. The series is currently streaming on Prime Video. It charts the lives of India's independence-era revolutionaries, with Saraf's portrayal of Sachindra Nath Sanyal — a pivotal figure in Bengal's revolutionary movement — among its central threads.

Whether the show's gritty historical framing resonates with younger audiences will be closely watched, given the competitive streaming landscape in India.