Bollywood's Khiladi Akshay Kumar believes in simple living, and this is what his elder son, Aarav Kumar, has imbibed from his famous dad.
The actor, in a conversation with cricketer Shikhar Dhawan for his show 'Dhawan Karenge', revealed that his son Aarav left home at the age of 15 for studies.
Akshay said that Aarav, like him, leads a simple life and is not into designer clothes. Akshay said that though Aarav knows that his father can afford expensive clothes, his son always buys second-hand clothes and doesn't want to spend unnecessarily.
"My son studies in London. He left at the age of 15 and left India. He stays in a hostel. Yes, he was very fond of studying and living alone. (Shikhar asks: Was it your decision?) No, it was his decision. I did not want him to go. I could not say no to him as I had myself left home at the age of 14," said Akshay.
'Now he is more independent. He does his own laundry and cooks his own food. He is good at cooking. He does his own dishes. He doesn't want to buy expensive clothes, though he knows that his father can afford to buy them for him. He goes to a shop called Thrifty (where you buy second-hand clothes). He purchases second-hand clothes. He tells me he doesn't want to waste money; he doesn't want it. He buys that," said a proud dad, Akshay.
While talking about his daughter, Akshay said his younger one loves to buy good clothes.
"I am very happy with the way Tina and I have brought him up in life. He is a very simple boy, very simple. My daughter likes to buy clothes," he added.
Akshay had a keen interest in sports and learned martial arts at the tender age of 7. Akshay says his father realised that he wasn't good at studying, so the focus shifted to sports. He also left his home at the age of 14 to learn martial arts in Bangkok.
Akshay is famous in the industry as a man who loves to lead a disciplined life. He wakes up early, usually by 4:30 or 5 a.m., and loves to enjoy time with himself.
He told Shikhar that he doesn't meditate, but his 2-2.5 hours in the morning with himself are enough to reflect on himself and what he has done the previous day.
"I wake up early; that is the time when your wife and kids are asleep. You have time for yourself. So, when I wake up between 4:30 and 5 am, I don't exercise; I laze around. There is a garden in my house; I walk there or go to the beach near my home. At times, I just look up and talk to myself. I don't meditate, and this time with myself is meditation for me, to reflect on myself," he says.
His message to the youth of today is to lead a simple life.
"Try and have a very simple life. Simplicity is the best thing. Partying is not. I used to party as well. But there comes a time when you are bored of it," he further said.
Akshay had just wrapped up the first shoot schedule of 'Jolly LLB 3' with Arshad Warsi in Rajasthan.
The actor also cast his vote for the first time in India after being granted Indian citizenship last year.
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