Actor Suniel Shetty will now be seen on television. Appreciated for his well-toned body and stamina, he will be hosting a fitness reality show “India’s Asli Champion” on &TV. Thrilled at being part of the show, he says the programme demonstrates how on exhausting physical strength, mental ability helps in crossing difficult levels and achieving tough targets. In an interaction, he talks about the show, how he changed his fitness regime and lack of action heroes.
Tell us about the show and the changes you underwent for it
This show is for the mentally and physically fit people. It’s about a common man and his journey where he realises that there is a lot more to win and all he needs is encouragement.
For this show, there is a total transformation in my looks and the way I anchor the show. I am back after a sabbatical break of two to three years during which I realised that I have to work differently. I worked a lot on my physique and did lots of exercises to remain fit.
What type of challenges do participants face in this show?
This show is about cycling, swimming, running, climbing, endurance and doing tasks given to not only bring out the physical but also mental strength. Its about bringing out the champion in you and telling people that there is a champion inside all of us which one needs to take out and show the world.
At 55, did you require different exercises to remain in shape?
Yes. I read about it and realised that remaining in shape depends more on diet than training. I switched to yoga, trained with lots of things but differently, like I used very light weights. My diet is in control and I do not eat any spicy and heavy meal. I don’t take artificial supplements. My lunch and dinner are very light compared to my breakfast. Before going to bed, I make sure I I drink lot of water.
Has fitness regime changed since the time you started? Do you give fitness tips to Athiya?
Today functional training is about fitness. Nowadays, there are dance forms, so many forms of yoga exercises which are more helpful for fitness than earlier. At one time, fitness was about heavy body, muscle and size, but today fitness is about shape and flexibility.
I think Athiya is fit enough but I always tell her to exercise regularly. I tell her to build her core and make exercising a part of her life like brushing teeth and taking shower.
Do you think action heroes are missing in this generation?
Not really. There are so many action heroes who are great. There are Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. I still call them young and happening and there are lot of things to learn from them. One more name is Tiger Shroff, who is really good in action sequences.
