MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra is in a lot of pain these days thanks to her rigorous martial art training for a role in Farhan Akhtar’s Don.

“I have started taking martial arts lessons for Roma’s role. For someone who never works out, never goes to the gym, these past few days have been killing,” said Priyanka, who will do her own stunts in the upcoming film.

A remake of the 1970s hit, Don has Priyanka and Shah Rukh Khan in the main lead. In the original Don, Zeenat Aman played the avenging angel Roma. “I am a big, big fan of Zeenat. Her Roma in Don was really kick-a**. But mine will be different, radically different,” Priyanka said.

One of the vital ways in which Priyanka’s Roma in Don departs from Zeenat’s interpretation of the character is the on-screen physical violence. “Yes, I am doing a lot of stunts and I am doing them on my own. In fact, I have started rigorous coaching in martial arts with a guy called Kanisk... And boy, it is tough!”

The toughening up has taken its toll on her. “When the training started, I had aches and pains all over. Believe it or not, I never go to the gym. I never work out. So this training is really strenuous. I hope I survive.”

And if you find Priyanka’s claim that she never works out hard to believe, here are some more believe-it-or-not claims from our svelte heroines. Urmila Matondkar, who’s a voracious foodie, claims she never works out. And Aishwarya Rai says she knew nothing about physical training until she got into super-slim shape for Dhoom-2.