Love to eat at dhaba near Dronacharya Metro Station, says TV’s Drona

He was born in Lucknow, works in Mumbai, but calls Gurgaon home. Actor Surendra Pal Singh has acted in a number of films and serials. He was last seen in Airlift and is part of a few mythological and historical TV shows that are on air currently. But he is most popular for two roles – Dronacharya in Mahabharat and Tamraj Kilvish in Shaktimaan. “Very few actors have the honour of being known by the characters they played, like Amjad Khan as Gabbar or Dilip Kumar as Salim.I am happy that people still identify me as Dronacharya,” he says.
Interestingly, the man who played the role of the guru of the Kauravs and Pandavs, decided to settle in the state where the mythological battle of Mahabharat took place.
“My home is on Sohna Road and I have a farmhouse on the Ballabhgarh-Sohna road. Haryana is the place where the Mahabharat took place. When I shifted here some 15 years ago, it used to be a village. Par kya parivartan hua Gurgaon ka! It turned into a smart city. In Haryana, be it a kisaan or a naujawan, they are all very prosperous. I see people from different states coming to Mumbai to eke out a living, but Haryanvi people rarely do. They are doing well for themselves here in the state,” he says.
Praising the sporting culture of Haryana, Singh, says, “Earlier, India thought it could win medals only in hockey, but Haryana proved everyone wrong. It produced boxers and wrestlers who won medals for India in Olympics. I like the people of Haryana because I get very positive vibes from them. There is crime in Haryana as well, but I think it’s not even 10% of what you have in UP.”
Talking about his favourite place in Gurgaon, Singh says, “Ironically, there is a dhaba near Dronacharya Metro Station that is my favourite place to eat at in Gurgaon. I go to Cyber Hub a lot as well. Gurgaon is my home and I try to inspire people to do something for the betterment of the state.” So what does he tell Gurgaonwallahs? He says, “I tell them ki har koi desh ke liye balidaan nahin de sakta, par aap apna yogdaan zaroor de sakte hain. Keeping the city clean, planting more trees, caring for the aged and making sure girls feel safe in the city are some of the things we can all do.”