Akshay combines his two loves on Master Chef India

It's Akshay Kumar's 43rd birthday today.

But if you thought turning a year older has slowed the actor down, one look at this video will end any lingering doubts.

The actor looked fierce and fit as he performed at the launch of the reality cooking show Master Chef India, where he is both the host and judge.

Akki,who worked as a chef in Bangkok before his Bollywood career, will act as mentor to 12 contestants, who will show off their cooking skills.

Chefs Kunal Kapoor and Ajay Chopra will be his co-judges on the show.

Akshay claimed that coming on the show reminded him of his Bangkok days. "I had gone to Bangkok to train myself in martial arts. Being a Punjabi, food was a priority in my life. I knew how to cook so this was the only job that I could manage to get there. I loved cooking at that time," he recalls.

"This show takes me back to my roots after so many years. My two favourites -- cooking and camera/entertainment are coming together and I am excited to be a part of it," he adds.

So does he cook for his family in his spare time? "I cook whenever I am at home -- may be once a week or once a month. I like cooking different types of parathas. My son likes the cheese toast I prepare," he replies.

Asked to name the master chef in his life, he says, "I love my grandmother's food, parathas from parathewali gali in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, and the cooks at Sheesh ganj gurudwara."

Master Chef India premieres on October 16 at 9pm on Star Plus.