Actor and fitness icon Vidyut Jammwal, widely known for his mastery of Kalaripayattu, credits yoga for bringing true balance into his life. On International Day of Yoga today, the action star shares, “Yes, I’m a martial artist trained in Kalaripayattu. To truly master it, you need to go on a journey of self-realisation — and that’s where yoga comes in. It teaches the art of balancing both body and mind.”
Exploring the deeper dimensions of yogic science, Vidyut adds, “As a fighter, it’s crucial to know when not to fight — when to stay calm. Yoga gives you that balance. Many people today have strong bodies, but still battle depression. That’s because yoga hasn’t touched their lives. It’s only through yoga that you achieve union of the body and mind. Breath control, happiness, calmness… it all begins there.”
Over the years, his connection with yoga has deepened. A turning point, he says, was meeting Padma Shri Dr HR Nagendra, the 82-year-old yoga guru to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“At his yoga university (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bengaluru), they ran tests on me on how I can control my heart rates and more. My entire perspective on ancient scriptures changed after deep discussions with him. My understanding of yoga evolved,” he continues, “I’ve always had a passion to push my limits. After the university tests, I realised I’ve been able to do that, sit in snow for hours, endure extremes, because I can control my breath. Sab saanson ka khel hai! A guru can guide you, but true realisation comes from within.”
Drawing a powerful analogy, Vidyut likens yoga to the very foundation of movement and discipline. Kalaripayattu is like a word; yoga is the alphabet, he explains, noting, “In sports like cricket or tennis, mastering one leg or hand can make you a champion. But only yoga gives you complete balance — something even the common yoga protocol can help achieve.”
As someone who travels the world representing martial arts, Vidyut shares that international audiences always associate India with yoga: “Woh mujhse sabse zyada yoga ki baat karte hain! They assume every Indian practises it, which, unfortunately, is not true.”
Encouraging newcomers to take the first step, he adds, “Recently, at guruji’s university I spoke in Sanskrit. I am not so fluent in the language and likely made mistakes but I tried. That’s what I tell students, just try. You may not get it right the first time, but trying is where the journey begins. Even just the basic protocol — but under guidance.”
Vidyut expressed his fascination with the conch shell (shankh). “For the past year, I have been researching the shankh. Under guruji, I have made a shankh protocol in prayanam,” he says on a signing off note.
