‘WE ARE ONLY AS OLD AS WE FEEL’

He’s proud of his own work and fitness, but Akshay Kumar thinks the young crop is great too

Akshay Kumar has spent five decades on this planet and more than a quarter of a century in Bollywood. Sounds like a long time, right? But the actor remains an evergreen Khiladi of the showbiz game, with a body to die for and a fitness routine to swear by.

“To feel young, one must act young,” says Akshay, when asked to reveal his secret. “We are only ever as old as we feel, so I make sure that I still live like the world is my oyster, and [have] a smile that’s as hungry for success and happiness as the day I started 26 years ago.”

With his confidence, persona, and on-screen performances — he chooses his roles carefully — Akshay’s position is, as yet, leagues ahead of the younger crop of male Bollywood actors. But he says compliments about his fitness and success never go to his head. “I’m proud of how I’ve carried myself, how disciplined I am about my workouts and, most importantly, my health,” says the actor.

Referring to the younger crop of stars such as Ranveer Singh, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and others, Akshay is quick to add, “But these young [actors] are the ones giving us old men a run for our money, not the other way round. When I entered the industry, no one knew what a six-pack was — now everyone has it.”

As for the female actors, while Akshay has worked with younger co-stars such as Sonakshi Sinha and Amy Jackson, he calls it “unfortunate” that female leads in Bollywood have a shelf life. “Unfortunately, actresses are treated like time bombs, which I feel is completely unfair,” the actor says, adding, “I’m beyond proud of all [those] who have not let the 10-year shelf life have any significance for their careers and have stormed past [that deadline] with pride.”