Varun Tej trained in boxing under Olympic Gold Medallist Tony Jeffries for his next flick

Varun Tej is busy prepping for his role as a boxer in the Kiran Korrapati-directed movie. Olympic Gold Medallist Tony Jeffries has trained him in boxing, before Neeraj Goyat took over the training in Mumbai.

Varun Tej is playing the role of a boxer in debutant director Kiran Korrapati's yet-to-be-titled sports drama. He is using the lockdown break for prepping for the movie. He underwent an intense training under Olympic Gold Medallist Tony Jeffries in Los Angeles. Later, Neeraj Goyat trained him in Mumbai.

Talking about training, Varun Tej said, "Luckily the boxing trainer (from Agra) was with me during the three months of lockdown. So I have been constantly practising boxing (10 sessions a week) and staying fit. I do around two hours of boxing daily, apart from the regular fitness workouts. I like to sweat it out."

When asked about why he chose a sports drama, Varun Tej said, "I felt there was a dearth of sports drama in Telugu a couple of years back, so I wanted to do one. Then Kiran (who worked as an Assistant Director for my earlier films) came up with a script that revolved around boxing. Since then we have had several discussions and zeroed in on an engaging script; so it has been a long journey."

Varun Tej added, "I am someone who is aggressive and a bit temperamental (smiles). Since boxing is a combat sport, I could connect to it naturally. Moreover, boxing easies out a lot of pressure and keeps me charged."

After the success of F2 - Fun and Frustration and Gaddalakonda Ganesh, Varun Tej has taken a long break due to lockdown. "I used to take frequent long breaks after completing one film. Hence, the break as a result of the pandemic is a familiar state for me, except for the uncertainty that surrounds the moment," the actor told in an interview to Deccan Chroincle.

The actor explained, "I was a voracious reader before turning into an actor. But reading took a back seat as a result of my shooting and other schedules. However, I have been spending quality time reading a lot in the lockdown. I just completed reading the Mahabharata series by Ashok K. Banker."