I respect Mahesh Babu a lot: Farhan Akhtar

He may have swept people off their feet with his rock star stunt during his first live gig in the city, but offstage, Farhan Akhtar was nervous. Talking to Hyderabad Times, a couple of hours before his performance, the actor-director- singer admits that he never got the opportunity to explore Hyderabad. ���This is my fourth visit to the city and mostly I am here on work-related trips, so I never found time to hang out.���
For Farhan, juggling so many things together means a lot of hard work.But when not working, he likes to laze around. ���When not working,my days are lazy. The first thing I do is switch off my phone. I feel it is important to disconnect from the world, otherwise calls keep happening. A few people complain that they can���t get in touch with me (laughs), but I just keep my phone aside and love to spend time with family,��� admits Farhan.
Farhan loves to travel too. ���I love travelling, especially to Goa. Now, everybody knows that about me (laughs).My mother has a place in Cunoor which is another favourite,��� he says. Music and movies aside, Farhan is now hooked on to fitness. After the world got a glimpse of his chiselled abs in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the actor is all about being ���healthy and happy���. ���Besides what I need to achieve for my roles in movies, there���s a basic fitness regimen that I follow. I take a more holistic approach to fitness than trying to achieve a certain body to display,��� confesses Farhan.
But being a fitness freak does not mean Farhan starves himself. In fact, he loves desi khana. ���Indian food beats everything else in my book. The kinds of cuisine our country offers is just amazing. Every single dish has a variation depending on what region you go to and that excites me the most about Indian food.���
With Farhan essaying many roles in his career, all that matters to him is engaging with people. ���I like engaging with people through my work. The kinds of films I do are not the leave-your brain- at-home types. If my films make people think, I am more than happy,��� he says. And what about Tollywood,we ask. ���I know the who���s who of TTown. And one person I have tremendous respect for is Mahesh Babu. Whatever little interactions we have had, I think he is a great person.���