The actor talks about his fitness fundas and how he has managed to maintain the six-pack abs that he built a decade ago
Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; May 31, 2018)

Ten years ago, Shekhar Suman surprised the world by getting himself a brand new six-pack look. Many thought of it as a passing phase and felt that the actor wouldn’t be able to sustain it. But he has proven them wrong. As he says, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and uneasier lies the stomach that has six packs. You have to be at it, there is no choice. At the end of the day, fitness is not about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than what you used to be.”

In a candid chat with BT, Shekhar speaks about his penchant for fitness, why age is not a deterrent and his return to acting on television after many years. Excerpts...

Ten years ago, you surprised everyone with your six-pack abs. How have you managed to maintain your physique?
Building your physique is the toughest thing in the world; maintaining it is tougher. It comes at a price — you have to forego plenty of gastronomical delights, follow a routine and be a strict disciplinarian. To train your body, you have to first train your mind. The mind is a powerful tool and if there is even a glimmer of doubt, it will set up obstacles. I always say that if there is anything harder than pleasing your wife, it’s your body. Take good care of it and in turn, it will look after you like a dedicated wife!

Over the last few years, was there ever a time when you slipped and had to start all over again?
I had put in so much hard work 10 years ago that I didn’t want to throw it away. Of course, it has not been easy. I would keep reading about fitness and look at people who have achieved a certain level of fitness to keep myself motivated. Like the saying goes, ‘Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t’. Fitness will be my epitaph.

What about the age factor? Or would you say that age is just a number?
Age is not just a number, it’s something that does a number on you! It is a reality; we are all born to age and die. The trick is to die young, as late as possible. Fitness may not add more women into your life, but it will certainly add more life into your women! On a serious note, if you are, say 50, and are fighting fit, you may not look like a teenager and there is no need to, but you will certainly look and feel 20 years younger, which is enough reason to boost your confidence and feel on top of the world. I can still climb up 22 flights of stairs. Some people ask me to take it easy, but I tell them that I’m not overdoing it. If you constantly build up stamina and strength, nothing is impossible. It’s all about conditioning and also doing things the right way, without taking shortcuts and with the right guidance. You can’t just go on the internet and start doing things because there is a lot of misinformation, too.

After a long gap, you recently returned to acting on television with Saat Phero Ki Hera Pherie. How has the experience been so far?
It wasn’t exactly a return to acting, because I was doing Ek Mulaqat on stage, but yes, what I am doing on TV right now is something I’m doing after 12 years. Given the scenario and what we have on television right now, I am happy with it. I did a cameo in the film Bhoomi (2017) and a lot of people appreciated it. I am at a point where I’m open to experimenting with different kinds of roles in movies and on television. I am an actor and I derive my biggest pleasure from that.

Your show Movers & Shakers was a huge hit and thereafter, you hosted and judged TV shows for many years. Do you feel that Shekhar Suman, the actor, was somewhere lost in all of that?
There are different ways of looking at it. I was acting even on Movers & Shakers. There was a role and an image that I had to follow — there were gigs and sketches and so, I was still acting. Since I had been a part of many fiction shows before Movers & Shakers, yes, the satisfaction of acting was missing. Also, I realised that I was getting too much into the comedy zone and that was not me; I am quite the opposite. Comedy is the last on my list of priorities. I like intense roles or roles with shades of grey, but comedy just happened along the way and I did something that India had not seen before — stand-up. Even I didn’t know then what stand-up comedy meant. I just enjoyed standing in front of the audience and performing. I am happy because I learnt a new craft. Getting into a zone where you are completely on your own was a huge challenge and television doesn’t give you any time. I did a few films back then, which I enjoyed doing. I was offered Chunnilal’s role in Devdas (2002), which I couldn’t do, and that remains my biggest regret. But then, you win some, lose some... you cannot have everything in life.

Is Movers & Shakers returning on TV sometime soon?
I’m constantly asked if Dekh Bhai Dekh and Movers & Shakers will return. Of course, I would love to be a part of Dekh Bhai Dekh. Movers & Shakers needs a lot of time and research, and we are on it.