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You must have heard it all before. Young or old, most people are drawn to lovely London and its varied sights and sounds. I have been singing its paeans for the past 30 years. For work or holiday, it's my first choice.

My first trip to this bustling metropolis was when I went there to shoot for "Prem Pujari". I was awestruck. Parks, museums, shopping arcades, exotic restaurants, discotheques, the Big Ben, the bridge...the mind-boggling variety confused me. I didn't know where to go and what to do. But two things that fascinate me about London are the amazingly produced stage plays. A theatre buff, I spend time watching plays. Another fascinating feature is its cosmopolitan nature. Whichever part of London you are in, you will never feel out of place.

I have lots of friends and relatives. But socialising is the last thing I like to do when in London. I have enough of it in Mumbai. Being an actor, you are constantly surrounded by people. So during leisure it's better to be left alone. I go on long walks or drives. The suburbs are as gorgeous as the main city. As you move towards the countryside, green farms and cool breeze takes away urban stress and tension.

The phataphat Mumbai life keeps me going. The city has given me all the good things in life. Simla is also very dear to me. I visit this spectacular hill station in Himachal Pradesh several times for work and holidays. Though bursting at its seams now, it still retains its colonial heritage and its grand old buildings. I hope we don't lose life's real charms and mar the beauty of this country in our mad rush towards modernity.

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