Bedi Bedi Fit at 50

I’M TRYING! I’m trying very hard to keep pace with this larger-than-life international star. He strides so vigorously and so fast, that I am left panting behind. The very first time I interviewed Kabir Bedi for the television series Health Today, my cameraman and I got breathless running after him as he ‘‘powerwalked’’ on Juhu beach. His wrist weights were strapped on and his strong legs strode into the sunset as he waxed eloquent about the benefits of powerwalking. He and his lovely wife Nikki were committed to it and to staying fit. That was nine years ago and then he disappeared into the neon-lights of Beverly Hills and London. A few years later, our paths cross and I find that he is fit as ever. Once again, I catch up with him over a Mangalorean lunch and what do I find? Kabir Bedi is fit in his 50s.

It’s easier said than done. His jetsetting schedules and rigorous shooting times are enough to throw any exercise or food-routine out of the window. Demanding roles in Bollywood (Shahjahan for the film Taj Mahal) simultaneously with international projects (a current one in Canada) keep him frenetically busy. Major shoots are lined up for films starring Shah Rukh Khan, Sunny Deol, Manisha Koirala and many others. In fact, he is also setting up his own production house ‘Mango Movies’. But none of this prevents him from being focused on keeping himself energised and trim.

‘‘Nothing ages you more than the ages of your children,’’ he says, when I ask him his age. But then, age is all in the head. We chat the afternoon away, he sits erect and alert and talks in his well-modulated, deep voice. Disarmingly down-to-earth and sporting, he squeezes out a few hours for me in the midst of his whirlwind schedule and dashes off in his chauffeur-driven silver Mercedes. I sit back and distil for you some Kabir-isms for staying fit in the 50s:

• ‘‘The more you do, the more you can do. The more active your life, the more active your mind.’’

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• ‘‘In my profession, if you are not an optimist then you might as well hang a stone around your neck and drown yourself. I have to believe in the future, because there is no monthly pay check that I can rely on.’’

• ‘‘What gets to you is what you eat everyday. I favour grills and salads.’’

• ‘‘The important thing is to watch what you do and eat between 6 pm and 11 pm. That’s the time one overloads with calories by drinking and eating all the wrong things.’’

• ‘‘Finally, it’s important to exercise and there is nothing better than powerwalking, strapping weights on to one’s wrists and striding out. ‘‘You can do it anytime, anywhere and it’s free.’’