The Into The Wild With Bear Grylls episode featuring Akshay Kumar will air on Discovery channel. (Photo: Bear Grylls/Twitter)From learning how to make a reef knot to navigating a river full of crocodiles and drinking ‘elephant poo tea,’ Akshay Kumar did it all in the special episode of Into The Wild With Bear Grylls, which was shot in Bandipur National Park and Tiger Reserve. Minutes into the show, Grylls called the episode a “classic military style mission.”
Here are key takeaways from the special episode featuring Akshay Kumar:
Akshay Kumar shed light on his childhood and how he got into films
Before Akshay became Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi Kumar,’ he was a regular kid born and brought up in Old Delhi by a Kashmiri mother and a Punjabi father. Akshay revealed that he lived with 24 people in his house. He also shared how he landed in Thailand to learn martial arts and became a waiter. “Women used to peck me, and that was the best tip I ever got (as a waiter),” Akshay shared.
The actor got candid about how he missed that part of his life today. “That life is the best life. I know I have lots of money and everything, but that life is something different. I had so much freedom. That’s changed a little bit (now) because of me being a celebrity, and you have to have your security. Nevertheless, this life is great too,” he told Bear.
Calling his father his role model, Akshay Kumar also talked about his son Aarav, who is very different from him. The actor said, “He just doesn’t want to tell anyone that he is my son. He wants to be away from the limelight. He wants to have his own identity, and I understand it. I let him be the way he wants to. That’s what I also miss myself.”
Bear Grylls taught Akshay how to make a reef knot and a harness with a rope
As part of the plan to navigate through the jungle and reach the extraction point, the two men needed to know the direction, and for that Bear made Akshay climb a tree to find the river. Amid the adventure, he also taught the actor how to make a reef knot and a harness with a rope. At the beginning of the episode, Akshay had declared himself an obedient student of Bear.
Bear and Akshay ziplined over a river with crocodiles
Though Bear Grylls is used to ziplining, it was a new thing for Akshay since he feared the crocodiles in the river. He, however, managed to cross the river successfully.
Akshay Kumar made Bear Grylls eat ‘ayurvedic balls’
Akshay introduced what looked like gond ladoo to Bear as ‘ayurvedic balls’ made of apricot tree’s gum. He explained to Bear that they are a source of instant energy, and also how eating more than one per day can lead to “shitting blood.” That surely scared Bear.
Akshay and Bear relish ‘elephant poo tea’
The two collected some elephant dung, made fire with it, burned it, boiled it and even drank it! Though Bear thought it tasted bad, Akshay felt otherwise. According to the duo, it gave them a “kick”.
Akshay learned how to ditch elephants by staying low and quiet
Akshay and Bear had to cross a river which had elephants on its bank. Bear told the actor they had to stay calm and silent, and keep themselves submerged in water to hide their smell. Akshay just followed the host’s instructions.
Special video messages for Akshay
Whenever Akshay Kumar managed to complete a task during the adventure, Bear rewarded him with a video message which he had collected specially for the episode from the actor’s near and dear ones. These included clips featuring wife Twinkle Khanna and Akshay’s friends Suniel Shetty and Katrina Kaif. All of them called Akshay the fittest celebrity in Bollywood.
Akshay on his most special film and his charities
Picking Padman as his most special movie, Akshay also spoke about his association with various charities, including Bharat Ke Veer.
The Into The Wild With Bear Grylls episode featuring Akshay Kumar will air on Discovery channel at 8 pm on September 14.