Akshay Radhakrishnan packs on 16 kg for his next

These days, actor Akshay Radhakrishnan has a plateful of pazhamkanji mixed with curd in the morning. The meal coupled with workouts, has helped the 6 ft 1 in youngster gain 16kg in the past three months.On what prompted him to bulk up, Akshay says, “I am preparing for a character in an upcoming film, which I’m not allowed to reveal. The process of body transformation has helped me feel a lot better and proud about my body. I would credit my good friend and trainer Basil Reji for the results.”During the lockdown, Akshay had actually shed a few pounds, he reveals. "But, in the past three months, my weight has increased from 70kg to 86 kg." Further on his routine, the actor says, "I work out for an hour every day, sleep for eight hours and have food rich in proteins and carbohydrates five times a day. The eventual aim is to gain six packs, but the process starts with putting on weight. Now, I can feel that the abs are there underneath. About a week before the shoot, I will cut down on the carbs and that’s when the pack will start to show. I guess we would be doing it within a month.”As for the pazhamkanji diet, Akshay says, “I don’t have it every day, but I do eat it often, for a boost and weight gain. There are other things too, like boiled potatoes without adding salt or spices, boiled eggs, sprouts, peanuts and a shake made out of milk, peanut butter and cashew nuts.”No conversation with Akshay is complete without mentioning his pet dog Veeran, who will soon be starring with him in the film Qalb. Akshay tells us, “Veeran is slowly recovering from the joint dislocation he suffered when he went missing a few months ago. He had a surgery sometime back and he is now slowly letting the leg touch the floor. I am told that there will only be 60% recovery and it won’t be back to its full strength.”