Picture by Pabitra Das; wardrobe: Darzee

As we parked the car on Strand Road, Shayan Munshi’s eyes lit up at the sight of the river. Because Shayan loves water. So much so that he’s training to be a scuba diver in the Andamans! For the next half-an-hour, Shayan sailed down the Hooghly on a dinghy with t2 for company. The boat ride washed up memories, old and sweet.

Do you love the riverfront?

Strand Road is the place I used to frequent a lot as a child. We would often drop by Scoop, the ice-cream parlour. I loved their As You Like It because it had five scoops! I also loved their pizza. For ice creams, I would go with my parents and for pizza I would go with a group of friends.

Later when I got married, Peeya (wife) and I took boat rides at least three or four times! It was great fun... we loved the cool breeze.... But today, I discovered something new! Right beside the Eden Gardens, there’s a garden which is beautiful. I had never noticed it before!

We heard you are training to be a scuba diver...

Yes, I have almost become a dive master. I am training with Dive India, a scuba diving institute in Andaman’s Havelock Island. It’s a one-month course which includes both theory and practical classes. I am over with the theory part. I am going back in September for the practical classes.

Why scuba diving?

I have been swimming since I was three, so I have a long relationship with water. Scuba diving is an extension of that association. It is my passion. I love the sea.

Life first originated in the sea, with 70 per cent of earth being water. We who live on land are a minority. I love being in the sea, it’s like meditation for me. There’s so much life, vegetation, the colour of the fish... it’s so mesmerising, spectacular! I have also started underwater photography.

Are you looking at a career change?

No, no! It is just another passion.

Where do you plan to go scuba diving?

I want to go scuba diving in Thailand, Mexico, the South East Coast, Indonesia and even South America. I want to explore various oceans. I have been invited to the Manta Whale Shark expedition in the Maldives. It’s a very interesting event where the participants have to live for a week on liveaboard, which are boats, and every day you dive four times in the sea! I’m not sure if I will be able to make it, though I have had the liveaboard experience in Thailand.

Does Peeya share your passion for diving?

She is happy for me. We don’t interfere in each other’s decisions much. We give each other a lot of space.... Peeya is not really into acting anymore. She has taken up dance as her profession. She is a part of choreographer Ashley Lobo’s dance academy Danceworx in Delhi, where she teaches dance.