Anil Kapoor on 63rd birthday: Salman Khan and I used to joke about exaggerating our age to appear young

What’s the secret to his youthful looks? This question has always followed Anil Kapoor wherever he goes. While the actor is turning 63 today, one can’t guess his age by looking at his face. He laughs as you ask him whether he gets irritated by the question. “I am happy to answer it! A lot of hard work has gone behind it, and it doesn’t come easy. Every morning, you get up and work towards it. For me, it has always been consistency in my work, relationships, or fitness. I didn’t get success or the fitness overnight. I have invested in my relationships with my wife (Sunita), my kids (Sonam K Ahuja, Rhea and Harsh Varrdhan), my team, and the people around me. It’s all about give and take. If you can do that, you will have a fruitful inning. You cannot be erratic,” he says.

At an age when most actors tend to slow down or do less meaty roles, Kapoor has his hands full with films such as Takht and Malang, for which he’s doing a photoshoot along with Disha Patani and Aditya Roy Kapur, when we catch up with him.

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Is he a birthday person? Anil says, “I never became a birthday person because my birthday falls on Christmas eve. We usually have the eve parties, and both coincide with each other. So, it’s more about celebrating Christmas than my birthday. In the past, I used to have small parties, which got bigger and bigger, but now, it’s back to being small. It’s all about my family now.”

Bollywood stars are often known to be uncomfortable about revealing their age. But Kapoor has never bothered to hide his age. “As a matter of fact, Salman (Khan) and I used to always joke ‘whatever your age is, usse zyaada bolo, so you look younger (laughs)’; When you are 45, you should say you are 50! Earlier, it was possible to hide your age. There were people who used to do it and be conscious. But now, if you hide it, you look like a fool because there is so much information available (out there),” says Kapoor, who has had a busy 2019. He starred in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga with Sonam, Total Dhamaal, and recently, Pagalpanti.

“I was thinking about a lot of things recently, and how my journey has been fantastic. I started getting recognition from 1983, and till now, I either get a critically acclaimed film, or a huge box office success. God has been kind, and it’s been a great journey,” he says.

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