Akshay Kumar would get up at 5, train at local park: Co-star recalls actor’s discipline

Wadhawan also remembered Akshay’s disciplined lifestyle, saying his commitment to fitness and punctuality was evident even before he entered films. “He was the kind of guy who’d wake up at five in the morning. I was staying in a paying guest accommodation back then. He would come to my place around six in the morning to wake me up, while I’d be fast asleep. There used to be Nana Nani Park in Versova. He’d go there to practise and do his training. He’d ask me to come along too, but I never went. I just couldn’t wake up that early,” he recalled.

‘An absolute fitness freak’

According to Wadhawan, Akshay’s routine has remained unchanged over the years. “Akshay, what stood out to me was that he was always on time. He was an absolute fitness freak. Once work was over, he’d go home, and the next morning he’d be back on set right on time. That’s how his schedule always was,” he said. Sharing another memory, Wadhawan recalled the time they were both shooting in Ooty for different films while staying at the same hotel.

“I still remember we were both in Ooty once. I was shooting for one film, and he was shooting for another, but we were staying in the same hotel. If my shift started at seven in the morning, I’d get ready, have breakfast, and head out. His shift, on the other hand, was at nine. Yet at six in the morning, you’d see him jogging on the streets of Ooty. We’d be driving to the set, and suddenly I’d spot Akshay Kumar running in the distance, out there on the road at six or six-thirty in the morning, even though his shoot didn’t begin until nine. That’s just his way of living life.”

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‘Not in touch with him’

While the two shared a close friendship during their struggling years, Wadhawan revealed they eventually lost touch as life took them in different directions. “There hasn’t really been any effort from either side, sir. His life has gone in a different direction, and I’m living my own life. Everyone changes their mobile numbers every two or three years. So there hasn’t been any effort from either of us to get in touch again, stay connected, or reconnect,” he said.

He added, “We haven’t spoken in years. We did speak once over the phone about five or six years ago. Since then, I think Akshay has changed his number again. So I don’t really know… I mean, I’m not really in touch with him anymore.”

Wadhawan was last seen in the web series State of Siege: 26/11, while Akshay Kumar was most recently seen in Welcome to the Jungle.