Express message service
Training since he was 18 has worked wonders for Tamil actor Sarathkumar. The 67-year-old Kollywood veteran, who starred in hits like Muni 2: Kanchana and Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India, gives #fitnessgoals to teens who are a third of his age. This after returning to work barely five days after a complicated cartilage operation.
He was injured while filming Mani Rathnam’s main work Ponniyin Selvan in Puducherry. Injuries are a part of every action star’s life, but the fact that he was back to work in less than a week after such an operation has caused quite a stir in the fitness and movie industries. The average recovery time, even for a fit patient, is usually five weeks.
How did he do it? “Our overall fitness quotient is a bit like saving rainy days. It’s handy when you need it most. You can’t build it overnight. It’s a slow process, ”he says. When he was 20, he won the title of Mr Madras University for his fitness. Sarath jokes: “I’ve always been so fit that ‘falling and getting up’ has never literally or figuratively influenced me.”
Sarathkumar also says he has approached his recovery sensibly, step by step. “At first I said to myself that I was fit, but with a small difference. The fitness enthusiast in me helped me advise myself. I am a producer and have convinced myself that my rest and relaxation were crucial, otherwise we would lose a lot of money and time in rescheduling. Then the spiritual person in me gave me the willpower to numb my physical pain, ”he explains.
He even managed to complete a fight sequence for a web series in which he didn’t use a body double for some stunts. “However, I don’t advise anyone to go back to work within a week unless they are as fit as I am.” The actor has a non-stop flight schedule that takes him to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Gwalior, Orchha. flies, Madurai and Chennai. He is also working on a Telugu film, an in-home production of a web series and a Tamil two-parter. Sarath’s video with Telugu actor Vishnu Manchu sharing fitness hacks went viral earlier this year, marking his position as a fitness icon. Fighting at 67, indeed.
His fitness mantra
Prohibitions: Smoking, drinking, binge eating, or worrying about things that you cannot control
Of: Do what your body asks you to do. “I needed upper body training, so I did 50 lunges, sit-ups, and squats with my trainer. I have a physical therapist who helps me stay mobile. I had gained four pounds from being unable to walk or run on the treadmill. But I can control my weight by adjusting my diet. “
