Mumbai, May 20 : Bollywood's 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar recalled that his father, who was a wrestler, encouraged him to practice wrestling with the 'healthy and big' boys in his neighbourhood.

Akshay, who is the first guest on the talk show 'Dhawan Karenge' hosted by cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, talked about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and shared the inspiration behind his well-balanced and health-conscious approach.

The actor, who was last seen in the movie 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan', reminisced about his father, Hari Om Bhatia, and shared: "I have always been a sports enthusiast and suggest everyone to have at least one sport in their life to keep them alive. My dad, a wrestler for Punjab and an Army man, used to encourage me by calling the boys in my neighbourhood who were healthy or bigger than me and made me practice wrestling with them."

"He'd offer Cadbury chocolates to us as prizes. Despite facing older opponents, I enjoyed the challenge as Dad always taught us new tricks," he said.

Akshay further added: "We all used to wake up early for school. Somewhere along the line, it became trendy to sleep in. Waking up early has become a habit, and I enjoy it as I cherish those quiet two hours in the morning. I don't jump into exercise right away; I enjoy lazing around at home first."

The talk show delves into intriguing life stories, candid conversations, exciting games, and fun revelations with the who's who of Bollywood, cricket, and influencers.

'Dhawan Karenge' is airing on JioCinema Premium.

/IANS