Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 17, 2018)

Actor-filmmaker Satish Kaushik had been battling weight issues for years now and finally having shed 25 kg is fit to play with his six-year-old daughter Vanshika. He’s also signed half-a-dozen big films as an actor, including Shaad Ali’s Soorma, Ashu Trikha’s Veerey Ki Wedding, Yamla Pagla Deewana 3 with the Deols — Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby, and Vipul Shah’s upcoming Namastey England. He admits he hasn’t felt this energetic in a long time.

Prod him on how the miracle happened and Kaushik informs that he discovered a doctor in Los Angeles, Christian Middelthon, whose prescribed diet helped him lose all the flab. Industry colleagues also inspired him. “I didn’t have a medical problem but even long walks at airports had become a problem and that would upset me. My energy levels had dipped after working without a break for 40 years. But today with the kind of films being made, you have to be fit to be seen in the same frame as GenX actors,” he points out.

Producer Guneet Monga who has lost a lot of weight too put him on to Christian while buddy Anil Kapoor would keep urging him to eat healthy. “Sonam would also keep nagging me and finally I decided it was time to fall in love with myself,” Kaushik smiles, adding that his biggest reward was when he went to Dubai recently and could run around with his young daughter in the park. “Now, if I feel tempted to eat something unhealthy, she stops me, saying, ‘Papa mat khao, dobara mote ho jaoge.’”

Kaushik adds that now it’s a ritual to walk for two hours every day. He has also completely cut out sugar from his diet. “People don’t recognise me anymore,” he beams, pointing out that he had come to Mumbai with just Rs 800 in his pocket. “It was tough to get into movies but I did it successfully. Now, I have passed the weight-loss test. It’s all about making up your mind.”
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Satish Kaushik to direct Pankaj Tripathi-starrer

Kaushik’s last directorial was Gang of Ghosts in 2014. Now, he’s making a comeback with a Pankaj Tripathi-starrer.

“It’s a true story of Lal Bihari Mritak, a weaver, who was declared dead in Uttar Pradesh in 1975. He fought for 18 years to prove that he was alive. He still uses ‘Mritak (dead)’ after his name and has formed an association of people declared dead and is helping them fight their case,” he informs.

The film is tentatively titled Main Zinda Hoon. Kaushik will shoot in Lucknow and Barabanki. “Pankaj loved the script, I’m waiting for paperwork to be completed,” he says.