HOW I KEEP FIT

Your energy and enthusiasm can put any youngster to shame. Tell us about your fitness schedule.

I don8217;t know if my habits have helped me remain fit, but I do follow a fitness regimen. I start with a workout early in the morning8212; treadmills and some light weights8212; at a gym in a hotel near my Juhu residence. Exercise helps me pull through tight work schedules. Big B is a self-confessed insomniac. He hardly sleeps and is up by 5 am. He then drives to the gym himself.

What about your diet?

I am a vegetarian and eat stuff that I feel would be good for my health. I have a light lunch8212;a soup, mostly8212;when shooting. When at home, the usual dal, chawal, sabzi and roti work wonders for me.
Jaya Bachchan: 8220;He likes his food simple. If you place too many things in front of him, he won8217;t know what to eat. That8217;s why he never enjoys buffets. He is not fussy. He eats whatever is given to him. He doesn8217;t give much thought to food.

Is there anything you avoid?

I don8217;t consume alcohol or smoke cigarettes. I also avoid tea, coffee, paan and paan masalas. I don8217;t know whether they are good for one8217;s health or not. It8217;s just that I don8217;t like them and I can live without them.

You8217;ve faced the camera for so many years. Do you now have a fair idea of what makes you look your best?

I think you learn such things by trial and error. I didn8217;t go to any film institute, nor did I have the kind of facilities that today8217;s generation enjoys8212;like going to good training centres, owning a camera, taking your own shots and discovering where you are going wrong. Now, everything is so compartmentalised. You learn dancing somewhere and work on your diction under someone else. Your clothes are taken care of by a designer. We had to do everything on our own. With every film, we were discovering our mistakes and thank god, the audiences were very tolerant. In fact, I think they are patient even now because we continue to make mistakes .It8217;s a big learning process. With time, you realise what works for you and what does not.

How do you manage to work so much? Please explain.

I am often asked this question, especially when I have very tight schedules. I think it8217;s all about committment. Once you8217;ve made a committment, you should honour it. It8217;s a compulsion and there8217;s no place for excuses, though that8217;s the easiest way out. Don8217;t commit if you can8217;t honour it. This attitude actually helps one work with ease.

Do you mean to say it8217;s all in the mind?

No, if the workload is heavy, then there8217;s a certain routine that needs to be followed. And that8217;s how I do it.