Sumeet Sachdev's food trail at Rajdhani
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| TV actor Sumeet Sachdev enjoying the Gujarati thali at Rajdhani which opened at InOrbit Mall recently |
The decor is a refreshing yellow-blue colour with ethnic pottery and bandhini prints placed strategically in cosy corners.
As I wait for Sumeet Sachdev alias Gomzi (of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi fame) at Rajdhani — the well-known chain of restaurants that has now opened a branch at InOrbit — I take in the surroundings.
As I look around, Sumeet — dressed in black jeans and a black kurta — hurries in, apologising for the delay.
Without much ado, we find a comfortable place for ourselves and order the Gujarati thali, the food Rajdhani is renowned for.
"I usually don't eat dinner," says Sumeet, leaving me wondering if it was a good idea to invite him for dinner. "But I don't think I'll mind eating here; the food seems light," he adds quickly.
Ordering the thali has saved us the trouble of choosing dishes and before we know it the food is on the table and we get down to the serious business of eating. "I think I'll start with the dal," says Sumeet, looking at the eight small bowls filled with a variety of vegetables, curries and sweets.
"Staying fit is a full-time job in my profession," explains Sumeet, who says that he is very health-conscious. "I am a hog by default but I have to watch what I eat," he confesses.
As we try out the variety of food in the thali, which includes khaman dhokla, kesar vati, batata vatana etc, this Canada-born, Delhi-based artist talks about how he became a TV actor.
"I am an architect by profession but I got bored of the monotonous job and wanted to add some value to my life," says Sumeet, biting into the bhinda sambharia, a ladyfinger preparation.
"I started by doing a couple of plays with Barry John called Munto and Aamir Raza Hussain called 50 Days of War," he recalls, adding, "But when we came to perform in Mumbai, I decided to stay back and take up acting as a full time profession."
So why did he begin by playing a negative character in Kyunki...? "I had no choice; I grabbed what I got after auditioning four times with Balaji," he replies.
But does he subscribe to the traditional ideologies of the serial? "I don't have any bad habits like smoking and I don't like going to pubs or discos. I am a home person; I'd rather sit at home and watch movies," confesses this Chincholi resident.
We put our conversation and dinner on hold as a few kids line up to get Gomzi's autograph. "I don't mind that people call me by my screen name; I cannot expect them to know my real name.
Besides, it shows that my character is well-received," he beams as we resume the meal, which the actor is enjoying. "I really like the food here; it's light and reminds me of home," says the actor who prefers home food to any other cuisine.
We end the sumptuous thali with basundi, which Sumeet can't stop praising. "I have a sweet tooth," he says.
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