‘I would run away from girls’

Actor Parvin Dabbas recalls his college days.

I joined Hans Raj College for two reasons — I wanted to study in North campus because I thought it was cool and the
dramatics society was very well known.

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Also, I’d been told that the the girls were really good looking. Initially, I was very studious but later got involved in lot of extra curricular activities. I spent most of my time either at rehearsals or playing basketball.

In fact, I am still in touch with the dram soc teacher Sanjay Kumar — the best teacher one could get. He did the most unconventional plays like The Blood Wedding, an African play ... and I played the lead in all of them.

I was not the kind
to chill out. If at all I was seen hanging out, it was just the café. I was so busy practicing that I never really got to chill. I had too much attitude so no one dared to rag me. Even as a senior, I never ragged anyone. My way of getting to know my juniors was to have a glass of beer with them.

And yes, I would be dishonest if I said that I didn’t get female attention — I got a lot of it, but I was too shy. There was a group of girls that always approached me but I literally ran away from them. Once they cornered me in the library and asked why I was always running away from them and I simply said, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you call out to me.”

As told to Neha Sharma