Abhay Deol: Delhi is more beautiful and greener than Mumbai

Whether it is promoting eco-friendly initiatives, or building an eco-friendly home in Goa, Abhay Deol is going all out to “do his bit” to reduce his carbon footprint and spread awareness regarding the cause. Recently in the capital to support an energy conservation campaign, the actor told us how he contributes to the environment in his day-to-day life, and took a trip down memory lane about his shooting experiences in Delhi.He also confessed his preference for the green and clean capital over the crowded roads of Mumbai.
I support initiatives that are practical
I’m trying to be a responsible individual by doing my bit to save the environment. The initiatives that I’m associated with aim at finding solutions that are practical. They aren’t just making a noise, they’re actually going out there – inspiring people, encouraging them, giving practical solutions and implementing them – and I strongly believe in all that. At a personal level, I do small things in my day-to-day life in order to contribute to the environment. For instance, I don’t use electricity unless I really need to. When I’m at home, I switch off the lights when they are not really required. Even in hotels, I use the lights only when I’m using the room. These little things really count.
On his eco-friendly Goa home
I like to live in an environment that doesn’t cause much pollution. To that extent, I’m building a house in Goa which is as environment-friendly as possible. I’m getting solar panels installed in the house, along with a rainwater-harvesting well and compost bins. Solar energy is something I’d be investing in big time. Also, recycling water. By the end of this year, I’ll be in Goa. And as far as Mumbai is concerned, it is harder to do all this in the city. If you don’t live in a stand-alone house, but in a society, there are no such arrangements there. You can’t do much unless the society decides to put solar panels up. I even encourage people to invest in compost bins. You can turn the wet dirt into fertilizer using that, and recycle the dry dirt. And that, people can do anywhere. If you do that on a large scale, especially in a city like Mumbai, there would be so much less garbage. And less garbage means less chances of flooding. Also, it is a much healthier way to live.
Delhi is more beautiful and greener than Mumbai
Everyone knows that Delhi has got a much better infrastructure than Mumbai. It is also aesthetically more beautiful and greener. In Mumbai, it’s just the South that has the older buildings and what not. The roads are wider, and you see less potholes there. Barring that, the rest of Mumbai is pretty unplanned and crowded. The roads are really sad in Mumbai. It is ironic that it is the industrial hub of the country, and we don’t have a good infrastructure there.
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I could be the mascot of Delhi
For me, Delhi is always going to be special. It’ll always be the place that I keep coming to for work. Given the number of films I’ve shot in Delhi, I could be the mascot of the city. This was even told to me after I did Aisha, because I was three movies down in Delhi by then, and it was later followed by Raanjhanaa. I’ve had some very good experiences of working here. There are lots of memories attached to the city. But I never remember any names. I keep driving around areas and roads, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ve come here before’, ‘I know this place’, ‘Oh, we ate here’, ‘We shot here’, and so on. I have memories of all the films that I’ve shot here, how we passed the time when we were shooting, how we went out to eat, etc.
Wish I could visit Delhi for leisure, too, and not just for work
Every place is different here. What’s nice about Delhi is that the character really changes from place to place. There is the fancy Central Delhi on the one hand, and then there is Paharganj, which is very different from Central Delhi, on the other. To live in, obviously the central part of Delhi is way safer. I like space and greenery. I personally don’t like crowded places, and I enjoy Delhi because of its different flavours. I’m terrible with names of areas and restaurants here, but I love the food in Delhi. Be it Punjabi or Oriental, I love going out to eat when I’m here. Since I’ve always come to Delhi for work, I wish I could visit the city for leisure, too.
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