Aftab Shivdasani holidaying his blues

By: Upala KBR, Mid-Day
Monday, July 30, 2007
Aftab Shivdasani has been keeping a low profile after news of his break up with Yana Gupta became public. Far from being broken hearted, the actor has just returned from a holiday in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and USA.

A source close to him says, "Aftab's personal life is being speculated about too much so he has stopped commenting on it. He's been spending time with his buddies, Ajay and Mike, and his brother-in-law Amit."

When we call Aftab, he says, "I just got back from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and am currently in Goa on a 'working' holiday! I had gone to KL for a badminton event. I played two exhibition matches as I was a professional player before becoming an actor."

Recounting his holiday experience in the USA, Canada and Central America, Aftab says, "It was an amazing experience travelling through Costa Rica. We roughed it out, travelled economy class, walked a lot or took cabs. I wanted a simple life but not the one Paris Hilton has!" he laughs.

For Aftab, Costa Rica was an amazing adventure. "We stayed at a place called Travel Inn. In Costa Rica, you can't do a thing unless you can speak Spanish so we hired a guide. We went touring and sightseeing."

The actor took the time to indulge in adventure sports too. "We trekked, went horseback riding up to thousands of feet in the mountains and other things like canopy, where you travel over cables connected from one mountain to another. It was something we have never done before and was scary yet exciting. We couldn't go bungee jumping as there was no time."

Aftab elaborates further, "The staple diet consists of rice and beans. I would have burgers and some local food too. Costa Rica is not a rich country but it's beautiful with lots of dense rain forests. I want to go back again."

Aftab will be seen next in Vikram Bhatt's Speed. "It's a thriller. A story of six hours and people on a mission." Speed is followed by E Niwas's romantic comedy De Taali, followed by Sanjay Gupta's Dus Kahaniyan and Jazbaa.

So how is Aftab doing on the emotional front? "I am fine, in fact, I couldn't be better," he laughs, adding, " I am a shy and private person. Today, my life is flooded by speculation and media attention. I want to switch off and go into a shell."

Recently, he was seen alighting from a flight coming in from Kuala Lumpur with Sophie Choudary. Were they together? "No. It was just co-incidence," says Aftab firmly before signing off.