A series of posts shared by Hrithik Roshan in 2018 brought his father Rakesh Roshan’s dedication towards his fitness regimen, to the fore. Highlighting that in the hours that preceded his surgery to treat tongue cancer, Roshan senior had been sweating it out at his home gym, the actor pointed out that his father had served as an inspiration on his fitness journey too. 

Rakesh Roshan, evidently in great shape as he inches towards his 73rd birthday in September, reveals that he decided to treat his cancer diagnosis like he would “any other illness”. “When I learnt that I have carcinoma of the tongue, I did get a jolt. But then I decided to turn the tide in my favour. I treated it like a common illness, and did not let it drag me down. I would take radiation and chemo, and head to the office. Yes, it did affect my fitness levels. I couldn’t train for eight months due to the weakness, and also lost 12 kilos. I lost my muscle mass, and my skin became loose. But then I started to push myself to exercise and it took me three months to return to my daily routine,” says Roshan.