Don't need six pack abs to be a good actor: Akshay Khanna
Actor Akshay Khanna says he is not a fitness freak and doesn't understand Bollywood's obsession with six pack abs.
Khanna, who has spent more than a decade in the industry, insists having a perfect physique might make for a good appearance on-screen but not for a good actor.
"I don't think to prove yourself as an actor you have to be a fitness freak or have six pack abs... Looks are important when on screen but they are not the priority. I have known people who might not look very good but are fantastic actors.
"Appearance does help to an extent but at the end it is only acting that matters. The audience today is smart, they know what they want and if an actor is not able to do justice to the character and portray it convincingly it won't be appreciated by the audience," Khanna told PTI.
The 36-year-old, who is returning to the big screen after a long gap with "Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai", is also famous for his aloof nature but Khanna says he enjoys his privacy too much to care for the limelight.
"I am not the kind of person who likes to stay in constant limelight... I like my own space and enjoy my privacy. Some people get a high out of it (limelight) but I don't. "I like to do my work and go back home. If not being in news affects my career then I don't mind... I will give up happily but I cannot change myself and by God's grace it hasn't affected my work for so many years."
The actor, who plays a common man fighting corruption in recently released "Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai", says he takes up a project only if he finds it convincing. "I have always been choosy about my roles and like to keep it that way... I only do a film when I feel I can do justice to it. I cannot work in a film just to appear on the big screen.
"I follow my intuition while signing a film. It's not that I avoid signing many films in a year but, yes, I don't want myself to associate with anything and everything," he added.
Khanna, who has given hits like 'Taal' and 'Dil Chahta Hai' in the past, says he is satisfied with his latest outing. "When I heard the script I could relate to it. It is a very simple story and a comedy take on serious issue like corruption. It is a medium budget film and I am very satisfied with the way it has shaped up," Khanna said.
