While action has been central to Tiger Shroff’s identity as an actor, he doesn’t believe being known as an action star has limited the kind of roles he can explore.

“In the action genre, there are many sub-genres. We have action thrillers, action dramas, action love stories, and horror being quite a big genre now. The scope is endless. I surrender myself to my directors and my writers to help bring their vision to life. I don’t think it’s limiting at all. I’m blessed to have an identity as an action hero in an industry where there’s so much competition and very few people get accepted by the audience so early on in their career,” he says.

Tiger says his upcoming films, including Lag Jaa Gale (with Janhvi Kapoor), an untitled film with Vidyut Jammwal and another being directed by Remo Dsouza, are also allowing him to move beyond the familiar territory of playing the conventional hero.

“I’ve been pretty much playing the hero most of my life from the beginning of my career. I’m fortunate that I am getting a chance to explore darker shades in my career now,” he says, adding, “I can’t choose which film I’m most excited about now because each one of them is so different. If you guys liked me in War, you will like me in Lag Jaa Gale. It is anti-hero; there is darkness and unpredictability all in one. That’s something very unlike me. I really pushed myself in terms of being an actor for that film. I hope that comes across.”

The actor, who has been a fitness icon since the start of his career, admits that his approach to fitness has evolved with age. At 36, he is more conscious of recovery, wellness, and maintaining his physicality rather than constantly pushing himself to the extreme. “A few years ago, I used to be quite extreme in my approach in terms of my physicality and training. Nowadays it’s more about the recovery and wellness. There are days where I like to go extreme and go all out; however, you should respect your body and know its limits,” he explains.

Talking about the pressure to look perfect all the time, he says, “I really enjoy doing what I do. Pressure is a privilege, and I’m blessed to have that privilege. I thrive on that pressure, and it’s my strength.”