Katrina Kaif, Sooryavanshi actress: With Akshay, we always feel like coming home

Actress Katrina Kaif was recently chosen as the brand ambbadador Reebok. In an exclusive conversation with indianexpress.com, Katrina talked about fitness, Bharat, her evolution as Sooryavanshi's actor and co-star, Akshay Kumar.

Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Q. You are the new ambbadador for the Reebok brand. How has fitness become an integral part of your life?

Physical fitness and dance have been a prominent part of my life for many years now. Collaborating with Reebok provides me with a platform that allows me to have interesting interactions about fitness, the challenges women face in their fitness journey, how they lead to positive change and more again. I want to be part of a community where people have access to information about fitness, ranging from coaching to personal experiences, and so on.

I have always been active. I was playing sports when I was younger. My training has evolved over time. Now it is very specific and based on the type of movie I'm doing. As for Bharat, I did a lot more yoga and pilates and when I did an action film like Tiger Zinda Hai, I turned more to the functional. So, my look depends on the character I play. I am flexible to change myself in order to do justice to the appearance of my character.

Q. Do you go out with training and dancing? Is this your way of keeping negative thoughts out of the way?

I do not think it has much to do with pushing negativity further. I think that training is very important for all aspects of life, including mental well-being. It helps you to set yourself a target, but for me, a workout or a weight training session is more about spending time with myself, on myself.

Q. From your first Boom movie to the blockbuster Bharat, do you think you've managed to decipher the mantra of success?

I think the success of a mantra is very individual. My definition of success is when I feel challenged, inspired or when I learn something. As an artist, the most important thing for me is to keep evolving. I think my evolution has been with the media because my life has been through movies. I think that my evolution or success has taken place with my audience. They have seen me change and grow. They saw the ups and downs and the struggles. It is wonderful to know that I have such support from the public that gives me the opportunity to explore.

Q. In the past 5 years, your choices have changed dramatically. Is it because of the growth and competition that exists in the sector?

We choose according to the person we are at that time. What I am today, I was not the same a few years ago. You keep changing and this happens to us all. So my choices are true to what I am.

Q. As an actor, you have much more recognition and credit over these years. How do you feel?

This type of validation is really special. This gives you the certainty that you are on the right path. This gives you the strength to continue working hard.

Q. Did the success of Bharat change things for you?

Absolutely. It was a character who changed my life. I am happy to have had the opportunity to explore the character. I gave him my soul and I completely immersed myself in it. I'm really looking forward to playing such diverse characters in the future.

Q. Your next is Sooryavanshi. Another commercial movie we all expect to be a blockbuster. Is there pressure to deliver?

I think we all have the pressure to deliver to every film. Each actor wants and aspires to the success of this window and the acceptance of the public. But at the same time, we are ready to receive hits and misses.

Q. How is Rohit Shetty as a director?

He is very clear and precise about what he wants.

Q. Has the equation between you and Akshay changed as you return together after many years?

Not at all. With him, we always feel like going home. He is a wonderful co-star. Always so focused and dedicated to his job. He loves his job and you can see it.