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#CampusKeDin|Himanshu Malhotra: I wanted to be in Hindu’s cricket team
Delhi University gets ready to welcome its new batch of students, and actor Himanshu Malhotra reminisces how he got admission in the varsity, to play cricket. He recalls bunking classes and roaming around North Campus during his graduation days at Hindu College.
Cricket, Delhi’s yummy food and the scooter rides from Hindu to Khalsa college — these are what essentially make college memories of actor Himanshu Malhotra. Recently seen in the film Shershaah, the actor who graduated in BA Pass from Hindu College, in 1999, says he barely remembers attending any classes as he would be mostly found either on the cricket field or at some eatery around North Campus.
What memories of Hindu College are still fresh in your mind?
From my Hindu days, what I remember the most is the cricket! I also remember performing on stage. I used to act like Shah Rukh Khan in Ram Jaane (1995)! Apart from that, I remember being a part of the fashion shows and choreography. We had lots of masti. And I remember Hindu College being very liberating.
Are you still in touch with your friends from college?
I’m in touch with one or two. Actor Shiv Panditt and I are from the same batch. Shiv was in BCom (Hons). Uss samay humari zyada baat nahi hoti thi, but we knew that we are from the same college. Then, we met on the sets of Shershaah and became great friends! Meeting Shiv was like reminiscing beautiful times of Hindu College.
What made you choose North Campus and Hindu College?
North Campus was close to where I live. I used to stay in north Delhi, which was close to Kamla Nagar. So North Campus was my first choice. I was a cricketer and my coach had told me ki Hindu College mein admission le lo aur wahan ki cricket team se aapko khilaya jayega! That was the idea behind it. And blindly with 82%, I went to Hindu College and told them that I wasn’t to take BA Pass. They were like, ‘You can go to a better college and take B Com Hons’ and I was like, ‘No I want to play cricket’! Then they said papa ko bula ke lao, bachha kya karna chahta hai unko batate hain! My dad was quite liberal, and he said let him do what he wants to do. And that’s how I could get into Hindu.
What was the dating scene in college like?
I was dating someone, at that point of time, from my school days actually. She was in Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, and I was in Hindu. It lasted till the second year of college, almost three and a half to four years of relationship. At the end of the final year, we split. I used to go and pick her up from Khalsa College on a scooter, which I had at that point, we used to go for movies and everything.
Did you bunk classes in college, and if yes, where all did you go?
In college, it was all about bunking! I don’t remember attending any classes. I was always on the cricket ground or with my friends, bunking and chilling. We used to go out to eat. Khane ke liye bahut jagayein thi pass mein. I remember the banana shake from my college canteen, then the sev puri at Miranda House, which was right outside Khalsa College. So when I used to go to pick up my girlfriend, sometimes we used to have that. Kamla Nagar mein hum chhole bhature khane jate the jabki wahan lambi line lagi hoti thi. I still relish those whenever I visit Delhi.
Author tweets @anjuri
