Weekends are usually a luxury for actors but I feel it’s also a chance to lead a normal life once in a way. If I know in advance that I have the weekend off, I usually plan things. I don’t like to sit at home and waste my weekend.

I stay up late on Friday nights  watching my favourite series or a movie. At times, I read too. Goes without saying that I wake up late on Saturdays which is followed by a quick breakfast that I prepare.

In the evening, I head out to meet my friends and plan the rest of the evening with them. Saturday nights in Mumbai are quite an experience but since I don’t like partying, I  enjoy the quiet side of the city.

I usually meet my friends at a coffee shop or a restaurant for   dinner. No matter how late it is or what our plans are, a trip to Marine Drive is a must. There’s something about sitting on the rocks there and enjoying the warm breeze. It makes me feel like I am part of the city. It’s a long drive back home after that.

Sundays are ‘me’ days. I like to go shopping or relax at home. I don’t have many friends in the city;  the ones I go out with are mostly my co-actors or the ones I’ve worked with. So they come over if they are free and we hang out till we are tired.

But it’s not always like this during the weekends. If I do have the time, I head out to the outskirts and stay the night there. Going to a suburb like Bandra itself gives me good vibes. They have some really nice coffee houses there!

Although my parents live in Lucknow, my mom visits me quite often. I am usually busy with the shoot when she comes but I look forward to the food she prepares. It’s like she knows what I want without even asking.

When I visit Lucknow, I usually stay at home and get pampered. My friends too come over to spend time with me. I go out only if my mother pushes me to do some work.

When it comes to health, I’m not too conscious about it but I do whatever I can in a small way. I try doing different workouts so that I don’t get bored. So far, I’ve tried yoga, gymming, spin classes, functional training and so on.  But I do eat as healthy as I can. I have a cook at home as I don’t like to order food from outside. I am a lazy cook; I just make ‘khichdi’, ‘dal’ and rice,  ‘bhindi’ and pasta.  My idea of the perfect weekend is to spend time with my family and friends.

Over the years, you tend to understand how important it is to spend time with your loved ones, so I make sure I don’t miss a chance when I get it. Be it staying at home, watching a movie on TV
or hanging around, all these small moments make my day.

Pankhuri Awasthy, television actor.
(As told to Anila Kurian)