It all began with a post-shower selfie. In 24 hours, it was ‘liked’ more than one lakh times on Instagram alone.
If you’re on social media, you’ve probably seen the now-famous Madhavan selfie about half a dozen times: There it goes again, fuelled by a rush of heart emoticons, sizzling through your Facebook timeline, making you regret that extra helping of pudding last night and shaming you into finally hitting the gym.
We’re halfway through the year, so this couldn’t have come at a better time. Your ‘get fit in 2017’ new year resolution has probably been buried under multiple helpings of cake by now. And 2018 is already beginning to flex its muscles in preparation for its debut. How about a halfway-through-the-year resolution? With actor R Madhavan as the mascot, of course.
- Madhavan’s impromptu selfie posted on Instagram along with the comment “Morning light post a shower... feeling fresh after a good long night’s sleep... after the long travels” has about 120,717 likes (and counting) on Instagram alone so far, with more than 2,000 comments.
- Most comments follow the ‘I’m in love’ theme, accompanied by an avalanche of of OMGs, hearts and fire emotions. There’s the occasional ‘Woof woof,’besides hashtags like #iJustDiedAndHeOpenedTheDoor
- ToHeaven , #MaddyOhMaddy as well as the simple, but eloquent, #spicy. Comments include: “OMG... My phone is going to explode with this hotness.” “Fifty Shades of Maddy.” “Butterflies? I feel the entire animal kingdom in my stomach when I see you.”
If you’re even mildly curious (and let’s face it, this is the age of unabashed Facebook stalking), you’ve probably done some research by now. According to Wikipedia, the man is 47 years old. Let that sink in for a minute. Forty-seven. So what’s your excuse?
The actor, who’s in Chennai to promote his new movie, Tamil thriller Vikram Vedha , is visibly amused about his selfie going viral. “Honestly, I don’t know quite how to react to the reaction,” he laughs, “It was just a spontaneous and impulsive thing to do. I am quite amazed at what’s happening with that picture of mine.” He immediately adds a disclaimer, “It is too much of a tall order to live up to! I don’t always look like that... so I’m just going to let it pass and forget about it.”
Nevertheless, judging by the picture, he’s clearly got his diet and workouts down to a fine art. He says that while he hasn’t really changed his diet dramatically, he has figured out what works for him over the years. “I have found out what I am allergic to and I am trying to avoid that in my daily food intake. I eat exactly three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. I sit quietly for 20 minutes without anybody disturbing me, and I chew each mouthful 60 times.”
He adds, “I don’t have anything fresh in terms of raw foods or salad after 4 pm. And no food after 7 pm.”
Madhavan acknowledges that staying fit is tough for everyone: whether you’re an actor or a regular 9-to-5 warrior. “It is a challenge to stay in shape constantly, because your body wants to give up. With all the travel, it’s very difficult to find food that is good for you,” he says, adding that the trick is to eliminate extraneous food that you know is bad: “So I don’t mind going hungry. If I do feel very hungry, I make sure I drink water.”
One more tip for avoiding binges? “I eat before I feel hungry. I know that when you order food or shop on an empty stomach, you always tend to over-eat, over-order or over-shop. So I always eat slightly before I’m famished.”
If you’re wondering what the secret formula is, it’s consistency. Which is probably why the actor is unfazed by age. “For those people who think that it’s downhill after 40, I can tell you that for me it’s been quite the reverse actually,” he says, adding, “I just think that it’s in your mind. Looking fit is also in the mind: you are what you eat.”
The actor goes on to say, “What makes, I think, somebody more attractive, is just being who you are. I see many people who have lost hair or gone grey, who think they have lost attractiveness; it is not true. Just be comfortable with who you are. Get lots and lots of fresh air. And do some sort of exercise at least four times a week.”
He should know. Not convinced? Here’s another comment on his jaunty salt-and-pepper look from yet another fervent fan on Instagram: “He’s so pretty I want to cry.”
