They say that you can take a girl out of Delhi but you can’t take Delhi out of the girl. This saying seems to hold true for Miss Universe (1994) and Bollywood actor Sushmita Sen who claims to jump at every opportunity she gets to visit the city. In town to inaugurate the Indo-German Urban Mela at Indraprastha Park last week, she said, “I miss Delhi a lot. Having grown up in the Capital, I come here at the first opportunity I get.” Though it’s Delhi’s people who are her jaan, it’s the Delhi chill that gets her excited. “I miss Delhi winters the most. Getting up in the morning and going to school in the shortest of skirts on a chilly winter morning is something I miss a lot in Mumbai,” she adds.
The Vasant Kunj girl
She has lived in almost every part of Delhi — be it Janakpuri, Rajouri Garden, Dhaula Kuan or Vasant Kunj — but the actor claims she enjoyed staying in Vasant Kunj the most. “Even after I was crowned Miss Universe, I would often stay with my parents in Vasant Kunj, whenever visiting Delhi,” she said and added, “I have literally seen the city grow before my eyes. I can hardly recognise Vasant Kunj with the huge malls and multiplexes when I go there now. When I lived there, the roads were still being built and there were very few houses. We would go to Vasant Vihar market for everything — from buying groceries to watching a movie or partying with friends.”
A tough nut
Sen was quite a naughty child in school and admits to have had all the fun a school girl should have. “My favourite hangout in Delhi was Nirula’s at Chanakyapuri. I would sometimes bunk school and go there with friends for a glass of Hot Chocolate Fudge. So I have done all the good things a child should do while growing up,” she laughed.
A tough nut
Sen was quite a naughty child in school and admits to have had all the fun a school girl should have. “My favourite hangout in Delhi was Nirula’s at Chanakyapuri. I would sometimes bunk school and go there with friends for a glass of Hot Chocolate Fudge. So I have done all the good things a child should do while growing up,” she laughed.
Food for thought
Sen also loved partying with friends and discotheque Ghungroo was her favourite. “I also loved the dhabas of Dhaula Kuan that sold paranthas with a slice of onion and green chilli for Rs 5- 7. After partying with friends, we would go to these dhabas for a hearty meal,” she reminisces. Clearly, the Delhi foodie in her is still alive.