Cutting 'chai' and conversations

My perfect weekend

It’s said that weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. But an actor’s life is very different – the concept of weekends don‘t really exist. However, there are these lucky weeks when we get to spend time with our loved ones and feel normal again.

I’m a very family-oriented person, so I make sure I spend as much time as I can with them. My girlfriend Dipika and I stay in the same building. We usually spend time with each other’s families. We either go out for dinner, watch a movie or shop to our heart’s content. There isn’t much to do in Mumbai as a family, so we go out of station whenever possible. Lonavla is one our frequently visited places.

Weekends are also about having some of my favourite dishes. Dipika is a brilliant cook, and so is my mother. I love Dipika’s ‘Achari mutton’ and ‘Shahi tukda’. I can’t even make a cup of tea properly, so I just let the experts take care of that section.

I don’t enjoy partying so whenever I meet my friends, it’s usually at a quiet place. It could be a cafe or at one of their houses.
One of our favourite activities is meeting up in the evening and have ‘cutting chai’ with them. It makes me feel like I’m living in the ’90s. We don’t get to have that kind of relaxed life anymore, so whenever I meet my friends like this, I feel great. Everything has become so mechanical nowadays.

I’m not much of a travel person but the last time I took a vacation was last month. Dipika and I went to Goa – this was because she told me that we really need to get out and unwind. It was a six-day-vacation but we went outside the hotel only for one day. The other days, we just enjoyed activities like spa, indoor games etc.
My parents don’t like flying and travelling by road is not an option as they are old. Hence, we usually just head to locations that are close to the city.

Keeping myself fit is very important to me. I work out at least two hours a day – my instructor is always available to motivate me to build my body. I don’t really enjoy spending time alone. I’m a people’s person. But if I do end up being alone, I usually spend my time on social media interacting with my fans. I take that time to respond to my fans and chat with them. TV is not something I enjoy watching. The only time I do watch TV is when someone else in the house is doing so. But I never end up watching the whole thing either.

I enjoy playing video games and outdoor games. I used to play a lot of cricket, but it’s hard to find other people to play with you, so I just play it online.

I was busy with ‘Nach Baliye’ and that took up a lot of my time. It was a great experience. So while I decide on what else to take up, every day seems like a weekend to me.

Having said that, I don’t expect anything out-of-the-box to happen when it comes to spending my days at home. I know that I will be busy soon, so I’m just taking things slowly. I make sure that I take enough rest, go to the gym and spend as much as time as I can with my family.

And that would be my ideal way of spending a weekend. As long as you dedicate that time for your family – whether it’s during the weekend or not – it will be perfect.

Shoaib ibrahim, television actor.
(As told to Anila Kurian)