Unlike his contemporaries who flaunt their bulging biceps and washboard abs, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has never shown any inclination for building a muscular body and showing off a Samson-like physique.
Despite not treading the beaten path, the actor continues to look younger, agile and fitter than actors and people of his age. It goes to his credit of having a long career and playing leading roles with heroines a few years older to his daughter Sonam.
So what is the secret of his youthfulness and energy? The actor has a rare passion for cycling to remain fit. Doesn’t it sound a bit outdated considering that a majority of guys in the film industry believe in working out in a gym.
“Cycle se mujhe khas lagav hai . When I lived at Chembur in a kholi , we shared a common bathroom. We were not even living in a building; it was just a chawl. My entire childhood has been spent there.”
Whenever some neighbour used to bring home a brand new cycle Anil like rest of his friends would get mighty excited. “It was aspiration for every kid. These days, people want to become owners of fancy cars but we had as much passion for owning a cycle. And when I finally got one I started using but left it when I had passed my youth.”
“Hindustan mein cycle ki bahut ahmiyat hai. But we need to encourage more people to use cycle for their everyday work. Imagine you can cross difficult-to-navigate lanes and pass one destination from another. For the past nine years, I have been using less of my cars and more of my cycle.”
Mumbai is known for its big traffic. So how does this over 50-year-old actor manage? “There is security as well as the ugly traffic Mumbai is notorious for. While shooting for film My Wife’s Murder I was playing a lower middle class guy. So I decided not to use Mercedes Benz and BMW. From my home to the shooting destination it takes one and a half hour to reach in a car. But I used to reach there 15 minutes earlier. But I would be sweating like anything and would take a bath before giving my shot.”
Anil doesn’t have time for gym. “Through cycle I am able to do cardio. I exercise six days a week and my input matches my output. Whatever I put inside my system I am able to take it out.
“I think the Government needs to promote cycling in a big way and we would like to promote such a cause. I use cycle for going to my office, meeting my friends and shooting.”
