So far the audience has seen Monal Gajjar as a girl-next-door in films, but not many know that she’s an adventure junkie. The actress is currently in her hometown, Ahmedabad, picking up horse riding skills.
“I actually tried horse riding in 2016 when I was returning from the Vaishnav Devi temple. There was a 5-km stretch you have to travel on horseback. I instantly loved it. Later, I practiced, but due to shooting schedules, I gave it up,” she says, adding that in the last few months she had picked up the threads again as there are no shootings.
“I have been learning horse riding at my friend’s farmhouse. I practice for around two hours,” she reveals, adding that it’s not a cakewalk picking up the skill. “We need to spend a lot of time understanding the horse and her behaviour before we start riding. I am currently trying to build trust between me and the horse,” says the actress who has been practicing riding for two weeks.
Asserting that fear would be removed only by trying out adventurous things, Monal says, “Everyone has a fear, but if you try the activity you fear, it makes you feel liberated. Whether you succeed or not is a different story; to me, making an attempt is itself adventurous.”
“So the key to being adventurous is believing in yourself. Such an attitude brings stability in life because it makes you take tough decisions easily,” she explains.
It was Monal’s sister who instilled in her a love for adventurous activities. “She is an adventure freak and has been pushing me to try different things. So whenever I have time off, I try adventure sports,” says the actress, who has done under-water diving in Thailand and paragliding in Switzerland.
The Telugu Bigg Boss 4 contestant also tried ice-skating in Kashmir in March this year. “After my Boss Boss stint last year in December I found I had a lot of time on my hands. I love to explore mountains. I was a bit apprehensive about going to Kashmir, but after going there I enjoyed the scenic beauty. It was then I decided to try ice skating,” she says, calling it an amazing experience.
“Ice skating in mountains is very difficult,” she says. “The skating shoes I wore were heavy and I couldn’t even walk, but nonetheless I feel it was a good attempt.”
Monal Gajjar ice skating in Kashmir
The actress has a bucket list of things to do. “I want to go to New Zealand and explore the adventure life there,” she says, adding that her love for adventure had increased after her Bigg Boss stint. “I am also planning to go to the Andamans and explore water sport,” she says, and reveals that If she hadn’t been an actor, she would have been a traveller, sharing information about the places she visits.
The Brother of Bommali actress, who is an avid traveller, journeys by road as much as possible, as she feels she can gain more insights and explore the countryside better that way. When we ask her how travelling has impacted her, the she says, “The world is a mix of people from various cultures. Wherever I go, have great memories of the topography, and traveling gives me a better perspective of life.” “Our own experience is important, and that comes with traveling solo,” she states.
