Shahid Kapoor trained by former shooter Ronak Pandit in Rangoon

Actor Shahid Kapoor, who will be seen essaying the role of an army man in the upcoming period drama "Rangoon", has been trained by former shooter Ronak Pandit, for the film.

Pandit bagged a gold medal in the Men's 25m Standard Pistol category at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Apart from understanding the basics of rifle shooting, Pandit also taught Shahid the methods of gripping the gun, perfecting the stance and aiming at a target.

"Shooting is probably in Shahid Kapoor's blood. We trained for over a week at my Malad and Worli centres. We did a lot of exercises to help him understand the technique of using the trigger. We followed the same training process that we do for the Olympics," Pandit said in a statement.

The former shooter says that they shot at different calibers and ranges and did precision shooting to get the angles right.

"He had a few long distance shots in the film and we wanted him to look convincing. On the last day, we went to the Worli range to shoot the firearm with real bullets," he added.

Talking about Shahid's dedication, Pandit said: "Shahid is a really talented man and by day two, he seemed effortless. He picked up the tricks faster than I anticipated and his fitness made the process easier. He is down to earth, almost like a college buddy. Also, given that he is punctual, working with him becomes easier."

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj "Rangoon" is set during the time of World War II (1939-1945). It also stars Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan.

The film is scheduled to release on February 24.

--IANS