Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
“No one proposed. My wife’s mom announced our wedding”
Surat boy Freddy Daruwala describes his parents’ marriage as a “typical 70s love story”, complete with his Parsi father running away from home to get married. “We weren’t in the best financial state, yet they never let us feel deprived,” says the model-actor, who rose to fame as the bad guy in Holiday (2014).
He travelled in state buses and drove his moped to college 60kms away, and gave tuitions for pocket money. It was while pursuing his MBA that he started toying with the idea of modelling. “But 16 years ago there was no exposure in Surat,” says Freddy, who was discovered by Men’s Health magazine for their cover page in 2007 and crowned Mr India World a few months later. He was picked to be the face of Nivea men, a campaign on the back cover of Men’s Health, the magazine that launched him. “But modelling was not high paying. I didn’t have money to sustain but kept at it and got Holiday. It’s my most recalled project,” he smiles.
Describe yourself in five words.
Resilient, bike-sexual (I love motorbikes. I have nine, all collector’s items), hard to please, perfectionist procrastinator, and annoyed grumpy Parsi baba.
List something no one knows about you.
1. I cry a lot.
2. I’m practically a home maker. I can cook, laundry and change diapers!
Chai and fancy cookies at hotels.
Just my phone. I’m very organised. My cupboard
is like one in a showroom.
If I eat late, I have crazy dreams that I don’t remember. I day dream more than I dream.
Be proposed to. Though with me and my wife, no one proposed. Her mom came and said we
are getting married!
I cannot dump people. So, I have
just gotten dumped.
If not an actor, what would you be?
Probably a motorcycle mechanic or a fitness coach or a musician (drummer).
What was your biggest fan-boy moment?
When I went to the Minneapolis to see Valentino Rossi at the moto GP. I was running to catch him in every corner of that arena.
What music do you listen to while working?
Metallica. Junoon has helped me a lot in my upbringing and character. And music by Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Sonu Nigam.
A useful talent you possess?
I have this weird thing for accents... I catch them fast. I’ve used that in projects.
One vice you can’t do without?
Flirting.
Describe yourself in one hashtag.
#SurtiLaalaFreddyDaruwala