Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor at Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's engagement bash in Italy.Instagram

The phrase 'age is just a number' seems to befit veteran actor Anil Kapoor who does not seem to grow old. Not only is he staying in the league with all the new-age actors, but also putting up a tough fight against them.

As the sexagenarian is all set to be seen in the shoes of a cop in Mohit Suri's 'Malang', the actor has got himself inked, in addition to the other transformations like colouring his hair and setting fitness goal to ace his performance. 

"This is the first time I'll be sporting tattoos. Each tattoo chronicles the journey of my character," the actor told Mid-day.

Anil had never considered getting a tattoo

While he added that he is never low on energy when it comes to experimenting and trying on new things for a role, the thought of getting a tattoo was something he had never considered.

"I've always been up for experimenting with my look, but the permanence of tattoos was something I hadn't considered. But it was important for my character, so, Mohit and I broke down the nuances and built a believable story to justify it," Anil shared.

Anil Kapoor and Kunal Khemu's first look posters from Malang
Anil Kapoor and Kunal Khemu's first look posters from MalangPR Handout

He has become the butt of family jokes

The 63-year-old got himself inked by tattoo artist Mansingh and Axa Shareen. Getting a new sign on body has without a doubt proved that Anil is serious when it comes to acting. But on the personal front, he has "become the butt of family jokes". However, his family has been supportive, the actor said.

His character in 'Malang' seems to be of great importance to the actor as once in an interview he had said that "It's definitely a role that will stay with me for a long time."

Anil also shared the intricacies and the time that went into getting his look right. "My character in the film is that of an eccentric cop, who's driven to achieve his mission. Getting the look right for my role in Malang was a challenging affair. To do justice to my character, I had to shed a few kilos. I also experimented with my hair and got a temporary tattoo," he said.

Malang new poster
Malang new posterPR Handout

The upcoming romantic thriller will hit big screens a week before Valentine's day on February 7.