Delhi boy Mrinal Dutt says he's grown up eating Roshan Di Kulfi for free!
On a short tour across his neighbourhood, Karol Bagh, Delhi boy, actor Mrinal Dutt tells us all about his fav food joints, shopping haunts and #CampusKeDin.
He’s played some suave and edgy characters on screen, be it His Storyy, Ishq-e-Nadaan, or Ishq Next Door (2023). And when it comes to real life, Mrinal Dutt is someone who is always on and always up for a good time — a quintessential Karol Bagh wala Dilli ka launda! The Swatantrya Veer Savarkar actor took HT City on a short tour of his neighbourhood, spilling the beans on his favourite food joints, shopping haunts and college days.
'The nostalgia for kulfi and sweets hits hard'
"The kulfi here is legendary! We used to play cricket in the ground nearby and come straight here and have kulfi for free! I have grown up with the owner’s son☺— and so now my friend is the owner... But I love, love, love sweet — like, I had root canals when I was 26! Sweet is my guilty pleasure, the one nemesis I have... But all bets are off when I come here. That nostalgia hits hard," shares the 35-year-old.
'My mum prefers chhole bhature from Om while dad loves Sitaram, I love eating'
Gushing about his love for chhole bhature, the actor can't help but share, "After coming home, I had only chhole bhature for two days. I can’t say no to them. It doesn’t get better than Om’s Corner in Karol Bagh and Sitaram’s in Paharganj. Actually, my dad gets Sitaram and mum prefers Om. I can’t choose between the two — I eat both!”
‘You can find the best ’fits in Sarojini, Karol Bagh, Janpath’
“I’m a smart shopper and look for stuff in Sarojini or Janpath. I found a really cool hat at a shop in Gaffar Market (Karol Bagh). In fact, I even bought my first second-hand phone from the market after saving my pocket money, during my school days!” says Dutt. Sharing how he scouted the streets before his Europe trip earlier in the year, he recalls, “A designer sent me a really cool jacket, but I was going for a longer time and needed more than one. I just didn’t have the time, so I said, ‘Chalo, Sarojini!’ and let me tell you, I found the best jackets! I think we should all thrift. But one must bargain!” Does he haggle? “Karol Bagh ka naam roshan karna hai!” Dutt laughs.
‘I still don’t know if I passed college or not’
A 2009 graduate of BCom (Prog) from Delhi University’s (DU) Zakir Husain Delhi College, Dutt got admission via the sports quota and spent most of his time on the field, playing cricket. “I had no interest in studying. I was told, ‘Go and play, win matches, forget about your attendance.’ Actually, I still don’t know if I passed my final exams or not,” he confesses, adding, “I already had a few backs in the previous years, and in my final-year also, I left a few answer sheets blank. Also, I knew I probably might have to take 10 more exams later. So, I never bothered to check my final results or take my degree.” Dutt, who joined the dramatics society of the college in his second year, shares, “I was also doing fests at that time, and while performing a play in Connaught Place, got picked up by an ad agency. Later, I went to Mumbai and got a job there even before the results were out. Nobody from that point on ever asked me for a degree.”
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