/> Why is Abhay Deol not in Mumbai to savour the rhapsodic reviews of Dev D? The buzz is he is in New York for a brief stint.

But the truth is a far more far-reaching.

Abhay Deol has decided to make a home in New York. Henceforth he'll be traveling between New York and Mumbai.

"It's not as easy as it sounds. Travelling back and forth will take a lot of time and money. And it was a hard decision to take. But I needed to get away. In Mumbai I was getting caught in a rut."

At the moment he is doing a course in welding and metal work at the Arts Students League Of New York.

Never heard of an actor doinga course in metal work before?

"Why not?" Abhay shoots back gently from New York. "Melting metal at 60, 000 degrees farenheit is very therapeutic. It's as cathartic as living out the anguish of Dev D.

I was planning to take this time off too explore new territories for some time. But in Mumbai I was caught up in the new-ending chain of doing movies and promoting them. I thought I would finish this routine and then take time off. But it never happened. So I just took off after completing Dev D.

Now I'm glad to hear the film has been so well-received. So what if I am not in Mumbai? Friends back home are keeping me informed."

And this is how it's going to be with Abhay from now on. "I'm here in New York to stay. Right now I'm at a rented place. But I'm looking for a place to buy. It was very important for me to get away and do things other than acting. Yes, acting is my primary passion. But there's so much more to do in life."

Abhay has family including his sister in California and friends in New York. "So it's not as though I'm alone. I don't miss home because this is also home now.

I chose New York as my second home because it's a city that has always fascinated me. It's a such a hub of activity. The creative possibilities here are unlimited. I want to grow not just as an actor but also a humanbeing."

Abhhay will be returning to Mumbai for a new crop of assignments as and when they happen. These include Anil Kapoor's home production with Sonam Kapoor, a new film with Dibakar (Oye Lucky Lucky Oye) Banerjee and the directorial debut of Vikramaditya Motwane who co-scripted Dev D.

Abhay is thrilled about the triumph that's Dev D. "We worked hard on the film. And now when I hear such good things being said about it I feel all the labour has paid off."