Veteran actor Mumtaz She is now 78 years old, but continues to amaze with her timeless charm and remarkable fitness. Defying age with ease, she credits her disciplined lifestyle (marked by strict eating habits, consistent workouts and guidance from Akshay Kumar) to keeping her in good shape. In a recent interview, she also spilled the beans about what she does to look good at her age and shape. Mumtaz didn’t hold back as she saw it as the biggest obstacle to staying fit. “Ninety percent of people in this world are lazy,” he said in an interview with Vickey Lalwani. Sharing information about her routine, the actress revealed that she completely avoids eating dinner. “I don’t eat in the evening. Also Akshay Kumar he told me the same once, don’t eat at night, and he continues too,” he explained. Mumtaz adheres to a strict diet, eating by 4pm and eating nothing until the next day, except for the occasional apple if she’s hungry.
His mornings start on a simple note. “I wake up and have what the English eat, cereal with milk,” he said. Lunch is his main meal: “My cook makes a jowar or bajra roti, I eat it with meat or vegetables.” After that, he refuses to eat for the rest of the day, sometimes opting for fruit if necessary.He admitted that maintaining this regime requires a strong will. “People won’t do this,” he said, emphasizing the level of discipline involved.Fitness, for Mumtaz, also means daily physical activity. He devotes about 90 minutes to exercise every day, including strength training. “I lift 5kg weights, I do leg exercises, everything,” he shared. For her, staying in shape goes beyond diet and workouts: it’s about consistency and hard work. “I became Mumtaz because I worked hard. Without hard work, you don’t get anything in life,” he said, reiterating his belief that laziness holds people back.In an interaction with ETimes, Mumtaz reflected on a piece of advice given to her Dev Anand which continues to inspire his approach to aging. He recalled, “I remember Dev Anand once told me that I should take care of my hair and body. He said that I should always try to look young. ‘Mumzi, age is a bloody number.’ He said if I look good I can even have a boyfriend at 90. He asked if I wanted proof. He opened a door and showed me three girls were waiting in the other room to go on a date with him. Mind you, he was 80 at the time.” He added, “I follow Dev Anand’s advice. And I follow Akshay Kumar’s advice that we should not eat after 6 pm.”Akshay Kumar has also consistently advocated early dinner. As he said at the launch of the book last year, “it’s important to eat around 6:30 p.m., so that your body has enough time to digest the food. By the time you go to sleep—around 9, 9:30 or 10—your stomach is ready to rest. It’s a very simple thing.”
