'I don't do fad-driven activities'

Gul Panag can wear many hats with ease. She is a model, actress and an adventure junkie and is passionate about every endeavour of hers.

The former Miss India was in the City recently for the ‘Kingfisher Blue Mile Campout’, an event held to select adventure enthusiasts for a trek to the Everest Base Camp.

Even as the beauty indulged in an array of adventure activities like kayaking and rappelling, she couldn’t help but be all praises for namma Bengaluru’s charm. “I enjoy coming to Bangalore. It’s always the best weather out here. Yes, it did rain a bit but it was only after we were done,” she tells Metrolife.

“Bangalore has always had this great outdoor culture. The facilities available here are better than that of any other city. Being an adrenaline junkie myself, it’s great to be a part of this beautiful adventure,” she adds.

Gul will soon be heading to Nepal to be a part of the camp. Ask her if she has ever been to Mount Everest herself and she replies, “No this will be my first time. It has always been on my bucket list.” Does one have to prepare a lot for this? She answers, “One has to be fit. It’s all about acclimatisation too so the right gear is important.” 

She adds, “It has a lot to do with your emotional endurance too. After all, it is as important to be mentally robust as it is to be physicallyfit.”

She had a good time interacting with the participants of Bangalore. “The participants were really good. They had the advantage of being in a city like Bangalore which is great when it comes to adventure activities,” she notes.

The actress has always involved herself in a number of adrenaline-filled activities. “I can’t begin to list out which is my favourite,” she laughs.

“I love kayaking, rappelling, paragliding and bungee jumping. I enjoyed kayaking in the City as I feel it combines fitness and adventure,” she says.

With the glamour world being swept by the Ice Bucket Challenge, Gul has managed to stay away from it.

“I don’t do fad-driven activities. However, I think it’s a good trend associated with a good cause,” she adds.

The actress, who has been married for three years now, hasn’t been seen on the screen for sometime.
“I am working on Ab Tak Chappan 2, which is a sequel to Nana Patekar’s Ab Tak Chappan. It will be hitting the screens soon. I have been reading scripts but unless I find something that I think is worth giving my time to, I will not take it up,” she says.

“I am also involved in a lot of other things like adventure activities and production.” 

Does she have any tips for the adventure enthusiasts of the City? “Adventure is all about being well-prepared. Too many people have had unfortunate incidents but you must realise that you can’t fight nature. You have to have the right safety equipment and not be reckless,” she sums up.