‘Hum chahe kahin chale jayein, hum dilliwale hi rehte hain!’

The city where you are born and spend your childhood in, is bound to be close to your heart. That’s precisely why Delhi is special for Rajniesh Duggall. The actor-model loves everything about the city, and of late, is batting for a cleaner Capital!

“Har sheher mein, if people pay attention, they can maintain cleanliness. It’s not just the government that is responsible. As individuals, humans and citizens, we all need to do our part,” says the 40-year-old, who was recently in Delhi to promote his film, based on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “[I believe that people] need to obey rules to maintain cleanliness and to live responsibly,” he adds.

His concern for Delhi stems from his love for the city, and he is appreciative and proud of the progress it has made. “The roads and the infrastructure are amazing. The way it has been turned around in the last 15 years, has also been amazing. All my friends and family are in Delhi. That, too, attracts me a lot to the city,” he says, adding that he loves the geographical location of the Capital, too: “Dilli se Vrindavan bahut paas hai; jo gadh hai Krishanji ka… Aur Dilli toh dilwalon ki hai. Hum chahe kahin bhi chale jayein, hum Dilliwale hi rehte hain!”

From food joints to shopping hubs and dating spots, Delhi-NCR houses his favourite places for everything. The 1920 (2008) actor, who is now living in Mumbai, reminisces, “Pehle hum log chhip-chhip ke jate the Hauz Khas Village. Qutub ke peeche jaate the [when dating someone]. There were many places around my college (in Dwarka). And Khan Market bhi jaate the.”

Duggall, who calls himself a “sporty guy” as he played cricket, tennis, football and judo, used to love shopping for sportswear from Lajpat Nagar.

It’s been years since he shifted base to Mumbai, but when it comes to Delhi’s food, he hasn’t found its match yet. “Dilli ka khana is very tempting! There is fan wale samose in Old Delhi, bilkul paper thin. Koshish yehi rehti hai, whenever I visit, ki woh khana hai. I like chaat papdi and gol gappe from Bengali Market. Humare ghar ke peeche (in Kailash Colony) ek sweet shop hai, which is very popular for its gol gappe. I live in Mumbai now, par Dilli ka khana kahin se bhi compare nahin kar sakta,” the Udanchhoo (2018) actor says.

He has in the past donned the role of Lord Krishna in a TV serial, Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran and garnered praise for it. Till date he feels the opportunity came as a gift for his parents, and shares, “Nikhil [Dwivedi, producer of the show] had said, ‘Main bahut logon ko test kar chuka hun par jab main tumhe Krishna ki tarah dekhta hun aankh band karke toh I feel that you have that thairav… And my family has a background of following Krishan ji. Mere parents Vrindavan mein based hain aur Krishanji ki bhakti mein hai. So I was super happy when I bagged that part. It was a different type of subject and getting into mythological space and TV (was a different experience). I still remember when I had spoken to my parents and told them ki main agar yeh karunga toh this isn’t for money, but for you! For my side, it was like a gift for them. The only (sad) thing was that before the show went on air, papa passed away.”

Speaking about his journey in showbiz as an outsider, Duggall says, “It’s always competitive, at any stage, for any actor, to be in the industry. I am part of the industry now. It’s just that, at certain places, you know there are camps where you get stuck. I wouldn’t say there is no entry (for newbies with no connections), but you need networking to get in there. I certainly lack that (laughs). But with OTT boom, many actors are getting good opportunities.”

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