'Today's kids are so tech savvy, which is good and fun, but they should also take time to service their body, move your muscles...'
Tiger Shroff has a new agenda.
He has a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) accredited gym in Mumbai, and hosted Mumbai'S first MMA fight night on Tuesday.
His beautiful sister Krishna has joined in, and the siblings want to take the good fight forward.
"I want to get martial arts as a compulsory subject in schools. If martial arts is introduced in our education system, the crime ratio will go down. It will empower children to lead disciplined lives," Tiger Shroff tells Rediff.com Contributor Ramesh S.
What is the basic idea behind organising the MMA Matrix fight night?
Tiger: The idea is to promote Indian talent, as I feel we have so much untapped talent in our country.
There are so many talented martial arts fighters who don't get the right exposure and opportunity to showcase their skills at a higher platform.
That's how the whole idea of organising the fight night came up, where we are giving them a platform to showcase their skills so that can promote themselves to the next level.
Krishna: Today, mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world. We want to get it recognised as one of the most important sports of our country.
Do you feel a celebrity association would help to boost it way?
Tiger: Yes. A lot of people look upon us and we have a responsibility because of that.
We have to sort of guide them in the right directions and be very careful of how we live our lives. We must set the right example.
I have been into martial arts since childhood.
Whatever little I have achieved in life is through martial arts, my action, my dancing and my athletic abilities.
A lot of kids look up to me, and it's my duty to guide them.
So many parents and kids come up to me and ask how I learnt martial arts.
I don't know what to tell them.
I did not have the facilities we have today. I used to watch videos and movies and practice on the beach.
Now, luckily, this generation has so many facilities available at their finger tips.
Today's kids are so tech savvy, which is good and fun, but they should also take time to service their body, move your muscles...
Tiger, Akshay Kumar is also associated with free self-defence classes for women and mixed martial arts for underprivileged kids. Will we see you doing something like this in future?
Tiger: What Akshay Kumar sir is doing is superb. My goal is similar to that.
In our country, we have a subject called PE (Physical Education). In China, they have martial arts as a subject.
I want to get martial arts as a compulsory subject in schools.
If martial arts is introduced in our education system, the crime ratio will go down.
It will empower children to lead disciplined lives.
I don't want them to learn how to fight or beat up anyone.
I want them to be healthy, disciplined and have self esteem.
Krishna: When I started learning martial arts, I got a new confidence inside me. As a woman, it makes you feel empowered.
As siblings, how was the working experience?
Tiger: It was super fun as we share similar interests.
Krishna has worked harder than me, as I have been busy shooting for Student of The Year 2.
I am just there for the support and whenever they need me.
Krishna: It is very cool to share the same passion and beliefs as your sibling. When two people are passionate about the same thing, you can push further.
How much did you fight as kids?
Tiger: When I was 12, and Krishna was nine, I weighed 30 kilos while she weighed 90!
So it was pointless fighting against her.
In martial arts, we have weight categories, but for us, it was heavyweight versus featherweight. So I used to stay away from fights.
But there were times when we had serious fights.
Luckily, I was a fast runner and my strategy was to make her run after me and get her tired.
Krishna: Ever since Tiger was a little kid, he had these lovely locks and was very attached to them.
So whenever we had a fight, I would go for his hair!
I would hold on to it as long as I could until mom and dad got get us separated.
Tiger, how would describe Krishna's fat to fit journey?
Tiger: The transformation is fantastic. She has worked very hard to achieve it. Still, there is a very long way for her to go; she has a lot more to achieve.
She still does not make the best choices sometimes. I will not go out of my way to pat her back.
In fact, I don't pat myself on my back either.
The moment you pat someone's back, the growth stops.
I always think that there is somebody who is working twice as hard as me.
I don't want to be second to that person; I want to be the best.
That is my work ethic and I expect Krishna to have the same.
So you crave junk food?
Tiger: Sunday is my cheat day. I eat everything that I crave for on that day -- from vada pav to chocolates and ice cream.
Chocolates are my weakness.
Krishna: I know that cheat days and cheat meals work for people, but I don't believe in depriving my body of anything.
If I crave chocolate, I'll eat it.
It's very important to listen to your body and give in to those cravings.
But then work twice as hard to balance it.
Life is all about balance. It's important to work hard and be fit, but at the same time, it's very important to loosen up and have a good time.
I keep craving pizza. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Are your parents -- Ayesha and Jackie Shroff -- as into fitness as you?
Tiger: Mom takes a lot of interest in fitness.
Dad has a bindaas attitude. He stays happy in his yoga.
He is naturally fit.
Sometimes, he makes his body by eating dal-chawal.
Krishna: They were fitter than us in their young days.
They had modeled for ads and were going to star together in a movie called Teri Bahon Mein. But eventually the makers found my dad a bit skinny and signed Mohnish Behl opposite my mom.
Then, Hero released and the rest is history.
