An adventurous night: Adil recalls getting locked out of his house after earthquake in Delhi

When Adil Hussain came out of his house in Delhi with his family after tremors jolted Delhi-NCR early on Wednesday, little did he know it was the start of an adventurous night! With no cash or ID cards in hand, the actor and his family were locked out of their home in south Delhi during the wee hours of the morning, when they stepped out as a safety measure.

“Even when the ground is shaking mildly, I am in the habit of getting out of the house because that’s how I grew up in Assam. Because mild shaking can lead to bigger ones especially in Assam, which is why the houses are built to withstand that kind of thing in the state, but in Delhi it’s all concrete structures,” Hussain tells us.

While the actor took his car keys, he forgot to pick cash and cards. “For some reason, the door got locked from inside. It was two in the morning, and I didn’t have cards or my ID cards. I went to some hotels, but they were full. Thankfully, my friend Dibang was awake for some reason. He saw my message and called me immediately and then we all went to spend the night in his house,” says Hussain.

Here, he confesses he was not anxious about the turn of events, but tired. “We thought we would drive around Delhi, and find a locksmith in the morning, and get the lock fixed. I was not scared or anxious but tired. I haven’t had good sleep before that. But we were up for an adventurous night for sure,” mentions the Delhi Crime actor.

Looking back at the earthquake experience, he says, “Initially, I thought my muscles are moving because I am tired. Then suddenly I heard the birds screeching, and the projector was moving, which is when I realised it was an earthquake”.

The actor, who stays in South Delhi, is from Assam, and understands the gravity of ground shaking. He hopes the tremors turn out to be a wake up call for all.

“In Assam, the houses are made of wood and are earthquake proof. Concrete structures are very dangerous for earthquakes unless it is earthquake proof from the foundation which is not the case in Delhi. If there is a big earthquake in the future, I don’t know what it would (do in the city)… I don’t want to predict a grim future. I hope it is a wake up for all,” he says while ending.