Kaniha is the lucky heroine of Malayalam. The role of Kaitheri Makam in the film ‘Pazassiraja’ made this South Indian actress firmly in Malayalam minds. Like movies, fitness is a part of life for Kanihak.
Even with the busyness of juggling career and family, there is no daily schedule without exercise. Kaniha testifies that fitness is also the secret to shine in life and on silver screen. Sharing fitness and diet secrets and family tidbits….
How do you see fitness?
‘Keeping fit for career?’ – I don’t know if it’s because I’m in the film industry, some people have doubts regarding my fitness. A question that is repeated as a comment on social media. Actually, I am not doing it for my career or for show.
My fitness is more regarding saving for a healthy future than short-term goals. Going to the beauty parlor and giving much importance to facial beauty, we should realize that we should focus on fitness more than that. If you have a healthy body, everything else is…
How important is exercise for women?
As a woman, our body undergoes many changes. Like childbirth and other hormonal changes… for those reasons we should be very careful for a healthy future.
However, most women deliberately forget to take care of their health and life. If you start focusing on fitness, you may not see results in a week, month or even six months. But, there is no doubt that it will be an asset to keep us healthy in the future.
Getting serious regarding working out?
There is no particular reason for that. I have always been very conscious regarding fitness. As mentioned earlier, I am not aiming for a six pack, muscles, size zero or figure through the workout. A healthy body and a peaceful mind. Zumba, pilates, gym workouts, running, yoga have always been a part of my daily life. Now high intensity training is also being done.
The secret to fitness?
No matter how busy you are, you never miss a workout. Set aside at least 45 minutes a day for exercise. At least 4-5 hours per week. However, the workout is rarely interrupted due to the rush of the shoot or otherwise. It will also try to compensate in free time that week itself.
We can stay fit only by taking a healthy approach to life and good foods.
Dieting secret?
I was a foodie. There is no such thing as a disliked food in my menu. I used to be a vegetarian but tried non following marriage. But the diet is very simple as it follows a somewhat precise diet. Always take care to keep the amount of food very small.
Instead of eating two heavy meals, try to eat small meals with gaps. Nuts and fruits are part of the diet plan. Breakfast is usually eaten with oatmeal or nuts. Millets, vegetables and nuts for lunch. Night idli or dosa. There is no point in starving yourself for fitness. Instead, take care to eat what you need and avoid what you don’t need.
Practice martial arts?
no I really wanted to practice but I mightn’t. I want to study in the near future.
Isn’t working out and positive energy related?
There can be many reasons for losing mental energy. However, there are many ways ahead of us to overcome it with confidence. It just takes hard work and determination. Working out is what helps me wake up and shake off all the lethargy, fatigue and laziness. It is possible to maintain energy throughout the day and achieve mental calmness.
It helps us not to lose confidence and falter when faced with trivial matters. The day you stop working out is terribly boring. Feel tired. If you are on location, you may feel lethargic and lack of enthusiasm in the middle of the schedule. In short, making exercise an addiction is only beneficial.
Are you always smiling?
Some people say that when Kaniha comes, it is happy energy. I am always happy. Loves to talk and interact with everyone. Life is just one thing. Enjoy it to the fullest. Approach anything with a smile.
Laughter has a huge impact on our behavior. Along with positive thinking, smiling also has the ability to influence daily brain activity. It is correct for me.
Home, family, movies…how does a workout fit in?
Good question. But with the support of the family, everything goes well. It was regarding five or six years ago that I realized that when we are busy with work and family affairs, we should not forget our health.
That means serious workout. There is a reason for that. When my son grew up and started doing things on his own without depending on me, I started thinking that I should set aside some time for myself. Until then, most of the attention was on him.
Who is in the family?
We live in Chennai. Family support is my strength. Support in everything. Son Rishi is 12 years old. Husband Shyam Radhakrishnan is in the IT sector. My parents and relatives live near here.
There is good support from everyone, be it family or relatives in every sense. And there is also a puppy named Maggie whom I adopted during the lockdown. She is also a part of my happiness.
What do you have to say to the readers for a healthy future?
Everyone must engage in some form of exercise. Walking, jogging, sports, dancing, gym… whatever we can, big or small. Don’t insist on a particular method or category. For those who think going to the gym is too expensive, home workouts can be done using the facilities available at home.
We should follow proper exercise considering it as an investment for our future. Lifestyle, adulterated food, water and air pollution are all taking a toll on our health. Engaging in fitness can help us to some extent in maintaining health and increasing life expectancy. Fitness gives us vitality, strength and resilience. A healthy future is in our hands. Make time for it.
Love cooking and traveling?
Hobbies include cooking and travel. Immersing yourself in cooking is a great peace of mind. Like fitness, traveling is another lifelong asset.
Every trip is full of good experiences. I am a person who thinks that life should go as it comes.
How did you get to the cinema?
After more than 20 years in cinema. The first was Susie Ganesan’s Tamil film Five Star. Later in Malayalam. Between marriage, break, America… and so on. She also played the role of anchor and dubbing artist.
Basically an engineer, I have won the title of Miss Madurai in 1999 and Miss Chennai in 2001. I never thought I would get into movies. All that and from a family that had nothing to do with cinema made me a part of cinema.
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