Of sandy beaches and happy vibes

Weekends usually mean work for actors and that’s the best way to describe my weekends. However, there are a few days in a month when I have the luxury of spending my weekends like everyone else. And I must say, I patiently look forward to that.

Catching up with friends is something I really love doing. We used to enjoy partying earlier but over the years, we have realised that meeting at home is better. We get the kind of privacy we want and are also able to engage in conversations without having to scream on top of our lungs.

Since my wife Vinny and I don’t like staying at home much, we usually head out of the city whenever possible. Lonavla is one of my favourite haunts. I like going on long drives — it transports me to a happy space. Going to the beach is also one of my favourite things to do and living in Mumbai allows me to do that. Sipping on a glass of wine, taking a dip in the ocean and sitting by the beach is something I absolutely enjoy doing.

Swimming is something I started doing recently. I was very scared of water until I went scuba diving in Maldives. Since then, I have been going for swimming classes and I am trying to get better at it. Working out is also an activity that I take very seriously. Besides the gym, my newfound love for swimming is also helping me stay fit.

During weekends, Vinny usually prepares some delicious dishes. She is an excellent cook. She makes tasty ‘prawn curry’, ‘chilli chicken’ and Chinese preparations. I’m not much of a cook — well, I think I am a very lazy one. I can only make tea and ‘Maggi’ noodles.

We also enjoy watching movies. Recently, we watched seven movies in a row! We don’t care much about reviews, it’s fun to watch films that we think will be interesting. My recent favourites are ‘Dangal’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’.

My parents live in New Delhi. So whenever we find time, we visit them. Occasionally, they come to stay with us as well. Vinny’s parents are in Mumbai but they live a little further away from the city. Since driving is not something I complain about, we visit them whenever possible.

For actors, it’s often the case that you either get no holidays or a lot of them. When I have a long break, I love visiting places abroad. I recently visited Singapore and Hong Kong. I enjoy trying out adventure sports along with other leisure activities. My favourite is skydiving in Dubai. It was an exhilarating experience! Vinny is scared of heights but she tried it too.

My perfect weekend is a mix of relaxation, some time at the beach with a glass of wine, maybe a massage and watching the sun go down.

I try to soak in these leisure moments as much as I can because once we start working, we just get too busy to appreciate the finer things in life.”
(As told to Anila Kurian)