At an age when most people slow down, Milind Soman continues to question norms — about ageing, body, love and success. The actor and athlete believes life is less about one's appearance and more about alignment.

Over the years, several of Milind’s choices have sparked public debate — from the iconic 1995 Tuff Shoes advertisement with Madhu Sapre, to the moment he ran nude on a beach on his 55th birthday. Yet, for Milind, these were never acts designed for shock value.

“I find it interesting that freedom makes people uncomfortable,” he says. “The ad with Madhu Sapre wasn’t about nudity, it was about confidence. Running nude wasn’t about shock, it was about vulnerability. I don’t wake up thinking I want to break norms. I just follow my instincts. If that challenges society’s comfort zone, that’s not rebellion — that’s honesty,” he says.

Time, Milind believes, has softened his understanding of love. “When I was younger, love was exciting, dramatic and loud. Now it’s quieter. It’s about ease, respect and being able to be completely yourself without performing,” he shares. “Earlier, love was about being wanted. Today, it’s about being understood,” he adds.

With his wife, Ankita Konwar, Milind says there is no pressure to conform to traditional milestones. Ask him if he wants to start a family soon and he said, “Family doesn’t have to follow a template. Ankita and I are happy building a life around movement, sport and shared values. We don’t chase milestones; we chase experiences. When life feels aligned, you don’t need to explain it — you just live it,” he says.

While acting remains important to him, it no longer defines his identity. “I choose roles that interest me, not roles that keep me visible,” Milind explains. For him, fitness is non-negotiable. “It’s the foundation that holds everything else up. We live in a time full of influencers, but short on role models. Looking good is easy; living with discipline, balance and longevity is much harder. That’s the conversation I want to be part of,” he says.

Milind is particularly vocal about the expectations placed on women. “Women have been under pressure long before fitness entered the conversation. Earlier it was about being presentable, then desirable, and now it’s about being fit. The label changes, the pressure doesn’t.”

His earliest fitness role model, Milind says, was his mother. “She wasn’t running marathons, but she was disciplined, mentally strong and consistent — which is real fitness.”

Anshuman Jha-starrer 2023 action-thriller Lakadbaggha is gearing up for the release of its sequel, Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business in mid-2026. Now, we have learnt that actor Adil Hussain has joined the film’s cast replacing actor Milind Soman in the role of the sensei in the sequel.

The role has been significantly expanded in the sequel and will see the sensei character play a pivotal role in the protagonist’s journey. Confirming his casting, Adil says, he was inspired by the first film of the series. “It felt like someone was finally making a film that stood up for the rights of animals—something we haven’t seen in decades, perhaps since Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) in the seventies,” he says, crediting Anshuman for his support during the action training and sequences:

“The martial arts training and action sequences were challenging, but Anshuman was incredibly supportive and generous throughout the process.”

The film features martial arts legends Sunny Pang, known for Headshot (2016), Havoc (2025) and Dan Chupong from OngBak series. The Indian cast includes Sarah Jane Dias, Vikram Kochar, and Anshuman, who reprises his role from the first film. The sequel’s shoot wrapped up in June 2025, and Anshuman also takes on the director’s chair for this film.

Hot on the heels of Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday, another heartthrob turned 60 — Milind Soman. The ever-inspiring fitness icon and runner celebrated the milestone amidst the serene beauty of the Maldives. Speaking to Bombay Times , he reflected on what it means to turn 60.

Milind first completed Ironman at the age of 50 and returned to it a decade later at 60. He said, “The first time I did the Ironman at 50, it was a test of willpower. Ten years later, at 60, it became a celebration of balance — body, mind, discipline and consistency. I’ve realized age doesn’t slow you down; inconsistency and indiscipline do. Self-respect is respect for your body and mind, which will reward you in ways you can’t imagine. At 60, I feel stronger, lighter, and freer than I did at 30.”

Age is a number; energy is a choice, believes Milind. “Your body doesn’t decide how old you are — your attitude does. I’ve met 20-year-olds who are tired of life and 70-year-olds who wake up excited for a morning run. It’s not about stopping time; it’s about moving with purpose and joy,” he explains.

Fitness is more about feeling better than just looking better, says the model-actor turned runner. “Looking good is temporary. Feeling good is timeless. When you chase strength, peace, and health — confidence follows. People often say, ‘I’ll start when I’m ready.’ If you keep telling yourself that, you’ll never be ready. Whether you’re 20, 40, or 60 — the best time to start loving and celebrating your body is now” he says.

Shah Rukh Khan also turned 60 a few days ago, and neither look their age. Milind reasons, “I think 60 today looks very different because we’ve changed how we live. It’s no longer about counting years — it’s about creating experiences. Shah Rukh is redefining 60 by the things that give him joy, and I do the same. Find the thing that gives you joy — body, mind and spirit, and keep doing it, no matter what. If you wake up excited every day, 60 can feel like 40 — or even 25!”

He says, “Fitness for me, is freedom. The freedom to climb a mountain, swim across an ocean, run barefoot, or just breathe deeply without effort. Ironman and marathons are not the goal. My motivation has never been abs or medals — it’s the joy of knowing my body still does everything I ask of it. To me, that’s real success.”

“It’s incredible and inspiring! Whether it is cricket or triathlons or life, our women are redefining what strength and resilience look like. They’re proving that dreams don’t have gender, or age — only grit. This victory is not just for sport; it’s for every girl who believes she can."

Bollywood sports movies have largely revolved around cricket, given that it’s the most popular sport in the country. Thus, it is interesting to know that a feature film is being made on bridge, a card game that works as a mind sport. Film producer and bridge player Subodh Maskara (formerly married to Nandita Das) has collaborated with Milind Soman and Chitrangda Singh for a film that will revolve around the sport.

Milind Soman, who is backing the film as a co-producer, said, “People in our country are not exposed to many sports. We only know about cricket, football and hockey to some extent. Thanks to the Olympics, people are now more aware of the various sports played at the event. Neeraj Chopra made Javelin popular; otherwise, people wouldn’t know much about that sport. Cards have a perception that Indian parents tend to say, ‘Cards se dur raho’. It is important to create awareness so that people understand and have the choice to pursue the sport.”

Subodh Maskara adds, “There’s a general stigma attached to playing cards in India, as it is largely associated with gambling. But bridge is as intellectually challenging as chess and is taught to kids in schools in Poland, the US and the Nordic countries. I’ve been playing bridge, and Milind understands sports, so I thought that let me see what he can do for my sport. If Milind can make running cool for women, maybe he has a magic touch that can get the masses to play bridge. Chitrangda was married to a well-known golfer, and her son is an aspiring golfer. She is passionate about making this a powerful human story.”

Chitrangda, also a co-producer, added, “Not many know that we have won a medal at the Asian Games (2023) in bridge. I thought the idea was interesting. It’s a mind game. At the moment, we are coming together to see that we have a great script in place. I will definitely be acting in the film because I think it is unique. No sport is only a sport. It is also about life. It’s about people. It’s about us as human beings and our psychology. When an athlete is running, it’s not just about the run. It’s also about his mental toughness. It’s about his character, discipline and all of those things.”

When I was seven, we moved back to Bombay, leaving a wonderful life behind in England. I had only been to India once previously, as a child of two, so the ‘homecoming’ was quite traumatic. Everything about Bombay was different from what I had known — the number of people and the level of noise around me, the Indian-style toilets, apartment living and, worst of all, a new, unfamiliar school, a boys-only school to boot. To add to my woes, the home we moved to was bang in the middle of Shivaji Park, a middle-class, conservative, Marathi neighbourhood and a Shiv Sena stronghold — i.e., a very different kettle of fish from England, where we were simply weird foreigners who were expected to do things differently.

My alma mater, Antonio da Silva High School, was not too far away, in another middle-class Marathi neighbourhood, Dadar. With my close-cropped hair, stickyout ears, ‘Gandhi’ glasses and ‘posh’ foreign accent, I was a ripe target for bullying. Packs of boys I did not know would routinely jump me around corners and try to beat me up or snatch my glasses away.

That period did not last, however — unfortunately for my tormentors, I was strong for my age, and knew how to immobilize my adversaries with a wrestling hold or two. More frustratingly for them, I never displayed anger or fear, which would have made the game interesting and given them the high they were looking for. I did not snitch on them to the teachers either, so they had no good reason to gang up against me.

The bullies could not understand why I wasn’t reacting in the ‘normal’ ways. I suppose it was because I realized instinctively, despite being so young, that this would only prolong my engagement with them, when all I wanted was to be left alone. Eventually, out of sheer boredom and incomprehension, they stopped bothering me. That episode taught me a great lesson for life. If you have clarity on what you want — in my case, at that point, it was solitude — you can focus on that, instead of the stuff that is happening to you and around you. Without such clarity, you will invariably be pulled into your own or someone else’s drama and get derailed from where you are headed. As a boy at school, it was instinct that guided my behaviour. As an adult, I do this consciously.

I must have been nine when my parents enrolled my sisters and me at the Mahatma Gandhi Swimming Pool, an Olympic-sized community pool located around the corner from where we lived. For some reason, my initial, ineffectual flailing on the very crowded, shallow side of the pool caught the attention of the coach, Percy Hakim. He suggested I sign up for coaching classes, dangling the carrot of a dedicated strip of pool for his students during the less-crowded ‘Ladies’ Time.’ I did, and learnt to swim. I would not stop swimming for the next 14 years.

Coach Hakim’s somewhat rudimentary methods of training — the order ‘Keep Swimming!’, barked at us ad nauseam, was really the extent of it — left much to be desired, but it got results. In less than a year after I first learnt to swim, I won a silver medal at the national championships, in the under-11 category. Even though I would not win a medal of any colour again at the national level until I was 15, I kept going.

Two hours at the very least in the pool each day, swimming and swimming and swimming, was a punishing routine for a child, and I marvel that I did it, for so long, without protest, especially since I did not particularly enjoy swimming. Thinking back, I probably would have dropped out at some point if I hadn’t won that first medal. For a while it was true that I did not enjoy swimming, and had not entered the pool by choice, I certainly, back then, enjoyed winning. Even if I wasn’t among the medal winners at the national level between ages 11 and 15, I was at the state level, and that was incentive enough.

Swimming was also, although I didn’t think of it that way then, an activity tailor-made for me. Even though I always trained with a large bunch of people, I did not have to interact with them too much — when your face is in the water, there is very little need, or opportunity, for conversation. My swimming routine helped me believe that I was constantly working towards something — the next championship, the next win — and filled my days with structure and purpose. I know that modern educationists believe that too much structure makes robots out of children, and does not allow them to give free rein to their imaginations, but as with other things like fitness regimens, food and medicine, what suits one child may not suit another. I certainly benefited from structure, and I can say with conviction that my structured childhood — and adolescence — did not affect my ability or my eagerness to seek out and explore unconventional paths in later years.

In any case, what would I have done with my time if I wasn’t swimming? Unlike others of my age, I did not enjoy playing cricket or sitting on compound walls with other kids, shooting the breeze, watching the world go by. My family did not own a television — Baba gave away our TV set within a year of us moving to Bombay, and we did not have one again until I turned 30, when I bought one for Aai so that she could watch me in a television show. I wasn’t given pocket money, so there was no incentive to check out the shops. There was another thing. My sisters were also swimming competitively, and winning races themselves, which meant they were training each day as well. If they had been playing board games at home, or lolling about reading, I may have resented the daily slog in the pool. But swimming was something we all did as a family — Aai chaperoning us to championships in other cities as and when required, and the rest of us doing it as part of our daily lives, a routine as commonplace as going to school.

Like everything else, a lifetime of good health — physical, mental, spiritual — begins in the home of your childhood. But it is also never too late for anyone to begin the journey to well-being by themselves. Ask yourself what well-being means to you, and why you want it, and then, like the ad line goes, just do it.

Edited excerpts from ‘Keep Moving’ by Milind Soman, Ankita Konwar and Usha Soman by Juggernaut Books

Actor and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman and his wife Ankita Konwar have jetted off to Paris for their sixth anniversary. They celebrated their love with a 42-km barefoot run. “It was crazy fun! Definitely one of the toughest marathons I’ve ever run,” says Ankita. Milind calls it: “Tough, challenging and exciting!”

He elaborates, “There was a shared energy among thousands of people who challenged their minds and bodies over this 42-km route. We always celebrate our anniversaries with a fun challenge, a trek, a marathon or a dive in some exotic sea.”

Running the Paris marathon was a “spur of the moment decision”, shares Milind, adding, “Plus Ankita had never been to Paris.” For Ankita, “These are our best memories, where we go through a challenge and achieve something together.”

As they ran past the iconic Paris landmarks, starting from the Arc de Triomphe on Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the Obelisk, the Notre-Dame and the Eiffel Tower, he admits, “Paris is incredibly beautiful. It’s not just the boulevards, the avenues and the architecture, but something else, something in the air, Paris has a vibe.”

For now, French food and art are on the cards and soon, another run. “Ankita wants to run the 21-km route between Nice in the south of France and Monte Carlo in Monaco,” he wraps up.

Be it Anil Kapoor (66), Suniel Shetty (62), Milind Soman or Ronit Roy (both 57), celebs well past their 50s have turned the tables when it comes to fitness — their chiselled physiques can give many youngsters a run for their money! Recently, actor Hrithik Roshan, who is inching closer to the big 5-0, has grabbed eyeballs because of his jaw-dropping physique. Fitness trainers spill the beans while sharing a note of caution with those inspired by these men.

One of the pillars of fitness is, without a doubt, consistency. “If you see Hrithik’s journey, it is not like he suddenly woke up from zero and went to 100. He has always looked after his fitness, whether he is working or not,” says Yasmin Karachiwala, a celebrity fitness instructor.

While one may feel inspired to achieve a body like that of their idol, it is important to tailor fitness goals according to one’s body type and not blindly copy, caution trainers. Roshan’s personal trainer, Swapneel Hazare, tells us: “One has to consider their genetic make-up, gender, age, lifestyle, eating habits, fitness levels, working hours and sleep patterns. What suits one need not necessarily suit another.”

Celebrity fitness coach Shivohaam, whose clientele includes Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Sushmita Sen, says one should not take their body for granted and push themselves beyond a limit after a certain age.

“I have been training Mr Bachchan [for years] and I make him do everything. Our goal while training is not aesthetics. Instead, we work on balance — a bit of jogging, joint mobility, muscle strength and core…. Age is a number, but a number that we must take seriously,” he asserts.

Among the several tactics tried by filmmakers to promote their projects to ensure a grand opening and good numbers, talk around their massive budgets is currently a favourite. Be it Brahmastra (2022) or Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, buzz around the massive amounts spent on their making has been a major talking point.

Actor Milind Soman, who recently wrapped up the shoot of his new film Emergency, feels that while this strategy works for big-budget projects, it could also mean running smaller films out of the market. “When you are marketing, you have to use everything that you have and if one of the things is ‘Oh, we have spent a lot of money,’ then you have to say it. But then, unfortunately, for those who have not spent a lot of money, the perception is that it’s not a good film... or it’s a small film.”

Elaborating his point on small and big projects, the 57-year-old says that the general impression among viewers is that if a project is really captivating, it has to be on big scale. “Small films are also mind-blowing, and we have several examples of that, but the consensus is that it has to be something as grand as Avatar — which required a lot of money to make. Because then, people will go to watch it, irrespective of the reviews it gets. The curiosity that the makers have spent a billion dollars and what did they spend so much money on, is what brings the audience to theatres,” he notes.

On a different note, talking about how productions often spend massive budgets on promotions, Soman illustrates his point with an example from France: “They do not allow Hollywood movies to spend more money (on promotions). It has to be the same that the French spend to promote their films, because otherwise they will get washed out. I think it’s very important that there be parity in promotions of films — big and small,” he wraps up.

Actor-model Milind Soman, who has been getting positive feedback for his recent release, Lakadbaggha, is glad to finally see challenging roles come his way. He admits that during the initial phases of his career, his acting potential was not used to its fullest by filmmakers. One reason for this, Soman feels, is that they failed to look beyond his looks.

Recalling one such incident of getting typecast as a “good-looking” person — and just that — the 57-year-old says, “I remember, a director called me for a film and said, ‘There is only one scene where you have to sit between Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan (actors) in the plane. Kareena is flirting with you because you are good-looking and Akshay is jealous of that’. When I heard the script, I said, ‘What is this, am I playing myself? Tell this producer that he is a fool. It’s ridiculous. Is this even an idea?’”

The problem, Soman says, lies in the lack of imagination in the industry. “They can’t imagine what all this person can do. We need to be fearless with our imagination, not just in creating something new, but also in casting new actors. All the young and popular people that we have today are not able to make interesting films because there is no imagination. Neither the directors nor the writers can see beyond the persona they have created.”

He is, however, hopeful that things will change, with Lakadbaggha being a start: “I am just looking forward and waiting for filmmakers to imagine me in roles that will surprise me.”

A common advice he has received in his career of over two decades, is to network more. But, Soman says that this can often confine one to a box. “What happens is, when you network, you keep on working with the same set of people again and again. Where is the collaboration? Sab doston ke saath hi kaam karte hain. There are filmmakers who say that they prefer working with people they are comfortable with. But, you have to also get comfortable with a new set of people. Collaboration means choosing the right person for the job... So first, we do not have an imagination and second, we stay in a box,” he wraps up.

Saiyami Kher will participate in Ironman 70.3 New Zealand, one of the toughest triathlons comprising a mix of swimming, cycling and running, which will take place in February next year. She had earlier tried to take part in the Ironman race in the Netherlands in 2020, but could not attempt it due to the pandemic.

The actress, who has already started training for the race in New Zealand, says, “I have always set fitness goals for myself. The full marathon (42kms) was ticked off the bucket list, but my next goal is the Ironman. I was disappointed when I couldn’t participate in the race in the Netherlands in 2020.”

Saiyami says, “It has also been mentally challenging to be self-motivated when clueless about the race course. Fortunately, things are better now.”

Her inspiration to take part in marathons has been model-actor, Milind Soman. She elaborates, “Milind Soman is the only actor to complete the Ironman challenge, which comprises four-km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42 km running. It’s the ultimate test of one’s physical and mental stamina that I hope to experience soon. I am attempting the half-Ironman in New Zealand in February 2023, which comprises a two-km swim; 90 km of cycling and; 21 km of running. Trust me, it is tough.”

Talking about the preparation for the half-Ironman in New Zealand, the fitness-enthusiast shares, “There are plans to club the Ironman with a cricket test series that I can watch after my race. I have already been training for it. I know the drill better this time around as I had trained for it two years ago. I have also bought myself a nice treadmill so that I can do my runs at home at my convenience.”

No matter how busy her acting schedule keeps her, Saiyami always finds time to train in sports. “The sportsperson in me will always stay alive. There is a sense of accomplishment with marathons and races; they give me a goal to work towards and keep me motivated,” she says, adding, “I always find the time to play or train, no matter how busy I am. I have just done a film where I am a cricketer. It was the best experience ever as I got to play cricket to my heart’s content.

After Ridhi Dogra and Anshuman Jha, Milind Soman has joined the cast of the action drama, Lakadbaggha. The actor essays the role of a martial arts expert in the movie that went on floors in Kolkata last December. “Every aspect of the story is well thought-out. I loved how intrinsically Krav Maga is incorporated in the script,” says Soman.

While Jha specially trained in Krav Maga for six months under the guidance of expert Tsahi Shemesh, Soman has picked up the basics of the art. Always game to test his physical prowess, the fitness enthusiast says shooting for the film was a strenuous experience. “I’m playing a Bengali martial arts instructor and Anshuman’s father. The shoot schedule was intense. The choreography is specially devised to highlight this martial art.”

Though it’s an adventure film, director Victor Mukherjee says the story focuses on the father-son relationship. “The relationship between Milind and Anshuman’s characters is the core of the film. We are excited to showcase Milind in a never-before-seen avatar.”

While the world is lapping up Raveena Tandon’s effortless performance in her comeback vehicle, Aranyak which, also marks her debut in the digital streaming service space, the actor has quietly shifted focus to her next project. From being the uncouth SHO Kasturi Dogra in a fictitious town of Himachal Pradesh, the actor has shifted gears to play an educated and glamorous elite woman in Manish Gupta’s One Friday Night.

The writer of Section 365, who has earlier helmed films including The Stoneman Murders (2009) and Rahasya (2015) is set to release his suspense drama next year. Gupta claims that while Tandon loved the script of the film, she was hesitant about shooting during the pandemic. “Raveena came on board because she liked my vision as a director. We shot the film in Lonavala through July and August this year after the second lockdown was lifted. There were no junior artistes in the movie and [we ensured] we shoot in controlled locations,” said the director, who believes that the actor’s true potential has not been explored in her earlier films.

“Raveena is a brilliant performer with untapped potential. She has an arresting screen presence, which has been utilised to a great extent in One Friday Night. It’s a performance-driven role.”

Apprehensive about meeting, Tandon couldn’t commit to workshops for the thriller. She resorted to watching movies and attended Zoom calls to prep for the role.

The film is centered on three characters—Tandon, Milind Soman and Vidhi Chitalia. “Milind has done a phenomenal job and will be a surprise package in the film,” reveals Gupta, adding that he conducted a four-day workshop with Soman. “Both actors were sincere. [Their characters] are supposed to hail from the upper strata of society. I have taken these glamorous, good-looking people and put them in a realistic scenario. Although it is a fictitious story, I have researched with doctors and gynaecologists,” says Gupta, while promising to credit the medical fraternity in his film for their contribution to society.

While busy prepping for the release of One Friday Night, Gupta released another film on ZEE5 titled 420 IPC on December 17. “I shot 420 IPC in October and November 2020 after the first lockdown was lifted,” adds Gupta of the film starring Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey and Gul Panag.

Milind Soman and Manish Gupta

Who follows it: Malaika Arora, Badshah, Urvashi Rautela, Virat Kohli

‘It’s a fad’ is the consensus! While Radhika Karle is quick to add that for individuals with an acidic constituency, black or alkaline water can be beneficial, “because you don’t want the body to be acidic,” she highlights that regular water “is all you need”.

Munmun Ganeriwal doesn’t find merit in claims that the stomach needs to be neutralised by such measures. “Our bodies need acids. Our stomach naturally produces acids for digestion, and our body is not foolish. You need acids to digest proteins. It also sterilises the food. By constantly consuming alkaline foods, we are neutralising a natural mechanism of the body. This can lead to sibo [small intestinal bacterial overgrowth] because the food starts fermenting.”

Ganeriwal adds that “marketing gimmicks” such as these sway people away from making small and beneficial lifestyle changes to their routine, and encourages them to take “short-cuts” instead.

Touted to be a healthier alternative to regular water, black water, its sellers claim, has over 70 minerals, and improves digestion, aids in metabolism, lowers acidity and boosts immunity. They also claim that it has anti-ageing benefits.

Who follows it: Jacqueline Fernandez, Milind Soman

Both Ganeriwal and Karle state that while chia seeds have gained attention, Indians will benefit from consuming indigenous varieties like sabja (basil) seeds instead. “Unlike chia seeds, sabja keeps the body cool, and the stomach flat. We are better off sticking to the food that is local,” says Ganeriwal, adding that Indian preparations also facilitate better utilisation of its nutrients. 

“The way we incorporate native seeds into our diet is also traditional. We put sabja seeds in dahi or laddoos. Our preparations don’t get publicity because they are not Instagramable. But they are a good source of protein, fibre, and antioxidants,” she says, adding that she adds the seeds to Rakul Preet Singh’s diet when the actor shoots in hot weather conditions. “On other occasions, she will consume halim seeds.” 

Karle adds that other seeds like sunflower seeds “are good a source of fat, and help in absorption of fat soluble vitamins”. Halid or watercress seeds, she says, are a good source of iron and electrolytes.

Who follows it: John Abraham, Sonam K Ahuja, Alia Bhatt

Karle suggests that the focus on vegan diets stems from knowledge that dairy products are no longer organic. “The dairy available today has so many hormones, and has undergone a lot of genetic modification. It is hence getting [negative] publicity, and for the right reason. But, we have places in India where milk that has not been modified, is available. Cow’s milk has protein and simple sugar. If, like the actors of Bollywood, you too have a fitness routine that is intense, your body requires such proteins and sugars. However, the concept of veganism arises due to the lack of natural or organic sources of food,” she adds. 

Who follows it: Arshad Warsi, Tanmay Bhat

Ganeriwal isn’t in favour of the “healthy” iterations that carbohydrate-rich foods have been getting. “People talk about high-protein pizzas, and what not. What is the problem in eating a normal pizza, once in a while?” she asks, asserting that she would never promote the notion of a no-carb diet.

“Even when I worked with Taapsee Pannu for Rashmi Rocket, I never put her on a high-protein and low-carb diet. Carbohydrates are foods for the microbes in our body. If they are left without food, they will search for other sources and eat away at our own bodies. That can lead to complications. There is no scientific reason to skip carbohydrates,” she says, quick to add that she promotes the consumption of millets, and legumes, and not refined carbohydrates.

Who follows it: Katrina Kaif, Shamita Shetty

Ganeriwal says a gluten-free diet would be beneficial only if taken to for a short term. “People cut down wheat and search for gluten-free cakes and breads. But these gluten-free counterparts have more ultra-processed ingredients than [a food item] containing gluten. In the absence of gluten, other binding materials, like potato starch and other modified starches, need to be added to the foods. They do more harm than good. People assume that if they spend more money on [expensive gluten-free products], they are working towards improving their health. But that’s not the case.”

She adds that it is due to the absence of other carbohydrate sources like jowar and bajra in international markets that the concept of a gluten-free diet gained prominence there. “But, in India, they are available. Both of them are naturally gluten-free. We should consume millets.”

Those on wildlife safaris learn beforehand about the Big 5 game animals—the rhinoceros, lion, leopard, elephant and Cape buffalo. For Shivaji Park local Milind Soman, his running safari begins on August 15, Independence Day. He will undertake the journey with his own Big 3 ideals, which are peace, harmony and unity.

Soman, Mumbai’s running machine known for his long-distance achievements, will start from his home ground at Shivaji Park, and traverse a distance of 420 km to Kevadiya Colony, facing the Sardar Sarovar dam in Gujarat, finishing at the Statue Of Unity, the colossal statue of Vallabhbhai Patel. Soman’s run will stretch over eight days, where he will average a little over 50 km a day, to complete the distance. His every stride will speak about unity, “as it is a unified India that we can take ahead to a space where we want to be in the world.” He held a pre-event virtual briefing on Thursday morning.

The model-actor-athlete who belies his 56 years with his eye-popping fitness level, said the core of his life is, “simplicity.” Soman explained, “I am a big believer in simplicity. That is my underlying philosophy. So many people ask me why I run, expecting some profound reply. I say simply because I enjoy it. It makes me happy.”

Soman said he started running roughly two decades ago, “and when I started, I used to see few runners. Today, I see huge numbers just below my building, pounding Shivaji Park and the road beyond. This is an uplifting, welcome change. Running by definition is contrary, as an exercise it is special, but you do not need any special infrastructure, venue, equipment to start running. It is natural and simply anybody can start running. Therein lies its uniqueness.”

Soman made a case for running being a big mental and physical health booster, adding, “if you do not have your health, you cannot enjoy your life in any way.” Soman has run from Delhi to Mumbai earlier, and said, “when you are running these distances, there is a big chance that people pay greater attention to the cause you are espousing or the message you are disseminating.”

For Soman, consistency is key to maintaining a level of fitness, “one has to be regular. Today, I exercise up to 20 minutes a day, I never skip that. I am in the midst of shooting for a film but I have taken a break of eight days for this run. I can maintain this level only because of my regular running which then adds up to significant mileage overall.” Miles and the message will culminate at the statue, where Soman will pay tribute at the end of his journey, documenting his running milestones on social media, all through.

Principal sponsor Union Bank of India’s Venkatesh M wished Soman, “a 100 years more of running,” as he added how they were filled with pride to be associated with the feat. Soman will begin in his trademark barefoot style at 6 am, on Sunday, using his feet for the feat and putting sole and soul, into India’s I-Day celebrations.

She enjoys watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai as much as she loves an offbeat film like Paheli. She has no qualms doing a smaller role in big, mainstream movies and takes pride in playing the lead in smaller, independent films, too. Having proved her mettle in films like Margarita With A Straw, Article 15 and Jolly LLB 2, among others, Sayani Gupta has managed to pave a path of her own. In a freewheeling chat with us, Sayani speaks about her work, the importance of the ‘female gaze’ in films, her time at FTII in Pune, and more. Excerpts:

Sayani has feature films, short films and web series to her credit and she says that working with women directors, writers, and actors is inspiring. She says, “I think the narratives of our shows and films need to change. Aren’t we tired of seeing unrealistic heroes on the screen? Incidentally, I read a quote that said, ‘You don’t see as many fantastic men in real life as you see on screen, and you never see as many fantastic women on screen as you see in real life.’ And that is so true.”

“The constant hetero-normative narrative that has been fed to us through popular cinema, where the unimaginable glorious hero comes to save everyone, is problematic. The women are given the side dish. They are constantly playing the subversions or a subdivision of a narrative which, again, is extremely problematic. So, we as women, must do stuff for ourselves and I think the female gaze in helping change the narrative,” asserts the actress. Sayani urges that it is time to change the way female characters are portrayed.

For Sayani, it’s not the length of the role that matters, but the gravitas that it brings to the table. She says, “I do independent films where I play the protagonist, and, at the same time, play relatively smaller parts in big films, both with equal zest.

However, I do hope to get big parts in big films. As long as you have enough to do and you’re good at it, you must make something out of it. When I say this, I don’t mean you hog the limelight, but do a commendable job and make your presence felt.”

Ask her if she would like to play a real-life character on screen, and Sayani replies, “I wanted to play Shakuntala Devi for the longest time. I never expressed it out loud fearing someone might take the idea. But Anu Menon had already made a film on the math genius with Vidya Balan in the lead. So that’s done now. But I would like to play Maa Sarada Devi in a film someday. I think she was a feminist, visionary, and, in many ways, tutored and helped push human rights, gender movement and the feminist movement.” Sayani adds that she wants people to know her for the work and look at her with dignity.

The actress has shared screen space with Milind Soman in a web series and she fondly describes him as ‘childlike’. Speaking about him, she says, “He is enormously good looking, and it is a little unfair that he looks so stunning without any make-up! You just put him in any frame and his good looks do the magic.”

She further adds, “He is like a child in many ways. When we were shooting, I kept scolding him for not reading his script and not knowing his lines and he would be like, ‘Ab kya ho raha hai?’ We also bonded over our mutual love for travelling, food and sweets. We both are rice eaters and we enjoyed Bengali sweets and all kinds of desserts.”

Love for the road, beach running, homemade food and travel make Milind Soman and wife Ankita Konwar bond the most. The couple often takes to social media to share pictures of them participating in a run for a city-based event or even doing yoga on a mountain top, giving everyone fitness goals. The two share a 26-year age difference, something that makes absolutely no difference to them. Some time back, Ankita shared a romantic throwback picture from one of their treks at Sandakphu and wrote: “Mountains like love, make you realise your strength. Hope you get to explore both.” She also posted a video of Milind and her sharing a cute moment at a restaurant and captioned that: “Love makes everything beautiful.”

Speaking to Bombay Times, she shares what she loves the most about her fitness enthusiast husband. “We enjoy exploring things together. Be it a new activity, a new cuisine, or even eating home food every day for seven months during the lockdown, everything is better with the person you love,” she says.

Fitness is undoubtedly their common love. She affirms, “We absolutely love our long-distance runs together. Running from one city to another or running in different parts of the world — is like combining the things we love together. I think you can say that we both are very outdoorsy introverts and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend and partner than him.”

What is it that she loves the most about Milind? She is quick to reply, “The fact that he is so himself. He knows who he is and he’s absolutely comfortable with that person. He loves his reflection and I so adore that honesty and humility.”

The Coronavirus situation for past one year threw lives and economies in a tizzy globally. For Milind Soman, the impact of the pandemic hit harder, as his event management business came to a complete standstill causing loss of jobs to many of his employees.

“I wish a better time for everybody,” shares the actor and fitness enthusiast when asked what his 2021 wish is. He elaborates, “The economy has suffered and a lot of people lost their jobs. Not many know that I’ve been an event manager for more than 30 years. My own business — an event company — suffered. We do a lot of events, but obviously when no travel and gatherings are allowed, we can’t do anything.”

Soman says it was rather with a heavy heart that he had to let go of many employees during the lockdown. “We had around 65 people in our office in Mumbai, but now there are about 15. So many people had to leave, so many people we had to let go because we didn’t have money to pay them. A lot of them are only getting 30 to 50% of their salaries because there’s just no business happening,” he laments.

However, the 55-year-old is hopeful that with things slowly getting back on track and restrictions being lifted, things will start looking up for him this year. “In 2021, I hope I can resurrect my business, we can start working again, rehire people,” says Soman.

Professionally, the actor has gone back into the work mode and is seen in the recently released web series, an erotic period drama, which he shot amid the pandemic itself. “Other than the business part, 2020 has been good for me. As a person, I’m very adaptable, and want to continue to do that forever. The shoot of the show was fun. Now there’s a lot of work, people want to catch up and do stuff,” he ends.

After the year 2020, my only resolution has been I want to try and make sure I enjoy each and every second at work, as well as, with family and friends in 2021. I don’t want to take anything for granted because you never know what tomorrow might have in store for you.

The promises I made to my parents and myself, I’ll work hard to make it happen. 2020 was very challenging and had put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. In 2021, I’m going to go big on education, healthcare and employment — the platforms which I worked in on during the pandemic — I’ll try to make it one of the biggest ever.

I want to strive harder to create awareness around how fragile our planet is becoming with climate change, global warming and the pandemic. There’s a new strain coming in of the virus... It’s time we look forward to a greener, healthier planet by correcting ourselves, and do more of reduce, reuse and recycle.

This entire phase of 2020 has been a weird year. As a person, I’m very adaptable, and I hope I continue to be so in the future, too. I want to be more in now, than think about the future, that is my resolve for the next year.

My resolution is to quit smoking and be fit. Also keeping 2020 in mind, I’ll keep a lot of time for myself and my family. Whenever I get a break, I’ll spend more time with them. Yeh samajh mein aa gaya hai ki hum log apni family ko ignore kar dete hain.

This year, I want to travel a lot. That is my resolution. The past year has been a big learning and I’ve realised that I should do things that I love instead of waiting.

Close on the heels of Sharad Kelkar's act in Laxmii, Milind Soman slips into the role of a transgender person for the period drama, Paurashpur. Turns out, the actor was initially offered the role of the king in the ALT Balaji and ZEE5 series, but he had his heart set on telling the story of Boris. "Though it's an interesting character and Annu [Kapoor] has done a fabulous job, I was not keen on the role and turned it down. Months later, they came to me with another character. That's when I told them that I want to play the role of the transgender," recounts the actor, who features in the Shachindra Vats-directed venture alongside Kapoor, Shilpa Shinde, Sahil Salathia, and Poulomi Das, among others.

Two weeks ago, Soman surprised his fans by sharing his look as Boris, complete with a nose pin, bindi and kohl, on Instagram. "A section of social media users wrote that they want to see the macho Milind, and that they like my masculine avatar. These were reactions from people who have obviously not seen my work before. I have worn kajal and walked the ramp as a model earlier. [These comments aside], people have responded well to the trailer," he says.

In a glaring example of the lack of inclusion, the third gender has hardly been represented in Hindi cinema and showbiz. Worse, the few instances when they have been portrayed on screen are riddled with stereotypes. Soman says it was not an easy journey to become one with the character. "When you think about transgenders in India, you have an image in your head. I wanted to break that image. We wanted to stay away from stereotyping the character. [We did not want to represent] the way they have been seen on Indian screens in terms of the expressions, behaviour and language. We wanted to focus on the character as a human being; that they belong to the third gender is incidental. We wanted to focus on Boris's fight against injustice and discrimination." He was mindful about not going overboard with the character. "We discussed how they would speak and their mannerisms. We kept it minimal because the character itself is so dramatic."

After the release of Akshay Kumar's Laxmii, a debate ensued over why the director had not cast a real-life transgender for Kelkar's role. Ask Soman why his show's team did not consider going down that road, and he tries to defend their choice, saying, "An actor can play any role. I understand that this particular subject is sensitive, and has sparked a conversation. I remember when Saand Ki Aankh released, people questioned why older women were not cast for the roles. But one needs to understand that when it's a movie, [the director] needs to be able to choose his tools to say exactly what he wants."

His attempts to push the envelope are not just restricted to the screen. Last month, the actor created a stir online when he posted a picture of him running naked on the beach, to mark his 55th birthday. The Goa police registered a case of obscenity against him. "To me, opinions can't dictate what we should do. We should have a sense of that," he says, adding that he does not get affected by the social media vitriol. "Social media comments show how the society is changing. So, I want to see all of it. I don't block or delete comments unless they are horrible."

Vasco: Model Milind Soman, who is in Goa with his wife, created a stir on social media after he posted a photograph of himself running nude on a beach to celebrate his 55th birthday.

A complaint has been filed at Vasco police station on Thursday against the celebrity model by Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), a political outfit formed by former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar. GSM has demanded action against Soman for “spoiling the image and insulting the culture of Goa”. The photograph in question is clicked by his wife Ankita Konwar and shows the naked model midstride on a deserted beach.

Sources from Vasco police said that they have received the complaint but are not aware where the nude run took place. In view of this no action has been initiated, an official said.

GSM, however, said that it is the responsibility of the police to verify and book the case accordingly. “If it has not happened in Vasco, then it is the responsibility of the police to find out where it has taken place and take necessary action as the post on social media is put by none other than the wife of Soman,” a party functionary said.

“On 4th November 2020, Milind Soman celebrated his 55th birthday, in an indecent, obscene, vulgar manner by running nude on a beach in Goa, thereby creating sensational news on social media for cheap publicity,” said GSM secretary, Vasco, Samer Khutwalker in his complaint.

Stating that the act from such a celebrity is unacceptable, GSM said that it attracts certain penal provisions and that he should be booked accordingly.

The political party has demanded that necessary action be initiated as “this should set a precedent to other celebrity actors not to repeat such acts and not to spoil the image of Goa and get away with it”.