JOIN USBeing an actor, I can’t really look forward to getting a weekend all for myself. My work keeps me away from my family and friends for most of the week. So whenever I get a weekend off, I make sure I spend some quality time with people who matter the most to me.
Come Friday evening and my friends and I start making elaborate plans for the weekend. A favourite pastime of mine is to drive out with a bunch of my friends to Marine Drive in Mumbai and spend time by the beach till the wee hours of the morning. We also plan what we call a ‘Maggie Night’ at a friend’s house.
I also like relaxing with a book, which I do even between film shoots. There’s no particular genre that I read as I like to scan all kinds of books. I also spend time with my pet, Cuddle. I have a maid who looks after him while I am away or I leave him at a friend’s apartment.
Cooking also forms a big part of my weekend plans. As a child, I used to watch my mother Renu cook and my father too used to join her in the kitchen. I picked up my love for cooking by watching my parents cook. My father served in the Army and we always had guests over at our home. My mother would cook for all of them. Today, I do the same for all my friends and family who come over to my place. I make everything from ‘Pasta’ to ‘Mutton Biryani’.
I also enjoy baking, my favourite being ‘Choco Banana Walnut Bread’ and ‘Lamingtons’. I am a chocoholic so I always add a dash of chocolate to my baked dishes. I overlook my diet on the weekend because that’s the only time I get to eat leisurely. Otherwise, I am always running around and eating at odd hours. I also make sure that I take a brisk 30-minute-walk, hit the treadmill and do mild exercises. I don’t like skipping my fitness routine.
As a child, I used to paint a lot and continue to do so even to this day but not on paper. I paint on some of my old clothes like a skirt or a ‘salwar kameez’. I don’t throw my old and worn-out clothes but transform them into something new by either attaching a lace, painting on it or getting an embroidery done.
Weekends are also when I find some ‘me time’. My apartment is on the 12th floor and the early morning view from the balcony is by far the best. So I soak in the morning breeze by sitting in a couch by the window near the balcony. This is also the time I get to sit alone
and introspect. I also spend this time to reflect on my career.
(As told to Nina C George)