Rotorua liquor store owner can do 100 push-ups - and chase thieves

He's worked on Bollywood films, lived in London and Panama, is a martial arts enthusiast - and at 51 can still do 100 push-ups in a row.

But this week Charanjit Dhillon found himself grabbing a set of nunchucks and chasing a thief in Rotorua.

The incident, during which Dhillon jumped over his counter with his weapon, was captured on CCTV in Dhillon's liquor store and the footage has gone viral.

An interview with the Rotorua Daily Post Weekend was interrupted momentarily after a customer crossed the car park of his Bottle-O store on Sunset Rd to shake Dhillon's hand.

"We need more people like you. Well done, sir," the man said.

"Keep up the good work."

Charanjit Dhillon (right), chased off a thief with a pair of nunchucks. He is pictured with his employee Nandeep Singh. Photo / Talia Parker

Dhillon, who lives in Tauranga but works in Rotorua, said the thief walked out with a box of booze.

Dhillon grabbed his nunchucks, leapt over the counter and chased the man.

Dhillon said he did not realise he'd grabbed the nunchucks - he kept them behind the counter so he could exercise in between customers.

He said he had to go after the man, or risk being labelled a soft touch by thieves in the area.

"If I don't go after him, they're going to keep coming, keep stealing...'oh, he's too scared.' It would make me an easy target.

"If I don't run after this guy, that means I'm scared. I'm giving them a chance.

He said he and his staff will pursue thieves, but they would never touch or harm them.

Dhillon chased the man for about 200m, keeping 2m behind him the entire time.

"And I told him, 'Run! How far you gonna run?'"

Eventually, the thief tripped and fell to the ground.

"I told him, 'get up', and when he got up, his pants fell down.

"He started crying... then I thought, 'no, just leave him, I got my box back.' That's enough for him."

Dhillon was bemused by the interest in his story.

Charanjit Dhillon has a kickboxing background. Photo / Supplied

"I was really shocked - it was just a really simple video... I just ran after him. And I got my stock back.

"I was thinking, 'what's going on?' Why do people like it that much?"

Dhillon said he opened his first store in 2006 and thieves would strike every second or third day.

He said the police gave "excellent" help, but couldn't do much with only descriptions of the culprits.

Now, his store might go months without being targeted.

"Ten years ago, nearly every day, every second day. Now, it's very minimal in my shops."

"They know I've got CCTV cameras in my shop, very clear footage."

Dhillon said the thieves who targeted him tended to be aged under 25.

From left: The thief inside the Bottle-O store. Store owner Charanjit Dhillon jumps the counter to chase the thief. The store owner returns after taking the stolen alcohol from the thief. Images / Supplied

"They are spoiled. They think, 'oh, if we grab it and run, nobody will follow us.'

"We are telling these shoplifters, 'we are here for earning, and we're not scared of you.' It's not easy to steal."

Dhillon said he never felt nervous or afraid when he's behind the counter.

"If we're doing this work of business, we don't have to be scared."

Employee Nandeep Singh had his own stories of chasing down the sticky-fingered.

"He's probably chased more people than me," Dhillon joked.

Singh recalled an incident where a group of four young boys decided to try their luck.

One of the four came into the shop and tried to take a box of booze - but Singh leapt the counter and took the box back.

"I told him, 'can you pay for the box?'

"He had no money, so obviously he was going to run. He was nervous as well, I could see from his body language."

Singh said he was "never nervous at all" to go after a thief.

"We never miss a chance to chase them."

He said Dhillon was more like an uncle than a boss.

"We're like father and son... he's always got my back when I need him."

Dhillon was born in India in 1971, and has lived all over the world.

He was a sporty kid growing up - his ad was a policeman, and the two would often run together.

In college, he became a competitive Bhangra dancer, which took him to competitions in Canada, Brazil, Wales and more.

In 1992, he moved to Panama to become a financial advisor.

Then he moved to London to live with his aunt in 1994, to work in her milk business. He met and married his wife there.

He started learning taekwondo and kickboxing from his cousin, who owned a gym.

He also worked as a choreographer in Bollywood films, after getting exposure through competitions.

He and his wife moved to New Zealand in 2004, after falling in love with the country while on holiday here.

He said it was "very quiet" compared to London, and people were "very friendly, very relaxed."

"I thought, 'New Zealand is the best country in the world, so if we get the chance, why not move here?' Life is too short.

"We miss our family, but this is the best country by far."

He and his wife initially intended to retire once they moved here, but after two years, they were "very bored".

So they decided to open a business.

At 51, he can still do 100 push-ups in a row, and chase down a thief without breaking a sweat.

He said his customers were "very nice people".

"I've learnt a lot from them."