Akshay Kumar motivated me to take up better lifestyle- Anupam Kher

Veteran actor Anupam Kher has Akshay Kumar to thank for his fitness. Anupam is seen in a slimmer avatar in "Naam Shabana" "Akshay Kumar is extremely humble and doesn't let people know how much he does things for others. He has a lot to do with my looking fitter and better today. He has prodded me to take up a better lifestyle," Anupam said here during a promotional event for the movie. Anupam and Akshay have worked together in as many as 20 films. Akshay Kumar reveals his excitement over producing Naam Shabana, a film which showcases the making of a spy. He wanted to make such a movie for its exciting content. On that note, Naam Shabana is a first of its kind in Indian Cinema, with a woman spy. He said, “I am very excited to produce a film about making of a spy. It’s never been shown before in a film. In all films, we are already spies who are on various missions.” The Khiladi actor also trained Taapsee for the film, which is India’s first spin-off, based on her character in Baby. "Naam Shabana" is touted as India's first spin-off based on Taapsee Pannu's character in "Baby", in which Anupam had essayed Shukla Ji. The forthcoming movie is grabbing eyeballs for its action-packed promos and the audience is gearing up for a thrilling film based on an undercover agent. Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in over 400 films and many plays. Mainly working in Hindi films, he has also appeared in acclaimed international films such as the 2002 Golden Globe nominated Bend It Like Beckham, Ang Lee's 2007 Golden Lion-winning Lust, Caution, and David O. Russell's 2013 Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook. Kher has won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role five times. For his performance in the 1988 film Vijay he won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has held the post of chairman of Central Board of Film Certification and National School of Drama in India. He is currently the chairman at Actor Prepares.The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution in the field of cinema and arts. Directed by Shivam Nair, Naam Shabana will release on March 31.