Actress Deepti Sadhwani, who is no less than an avid traveller, takes
The Pioneer through her recent travels to London and shares her memories from the trip.Tejal Sinha
There is so much beauty in London that you will want to stay longer than you expected. It is one of the world’s most popular tourist and travel destinations. Every street and lane in London is carefully designed to reflect the city’s long history.
But you know what? London isn’t a new destination for Deepti Sadhwani because there was a time when she was working in London as an investment banker. “I’m very well aware of the culture, how things go around there, the places, the roads, and everything. I’m very comfortable with that place,” begins the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fame for our weekly segment of Travelogue.
Recalling her recent trip to the beautiful land where she was for a shoot, she recalls, “It was a bright sunny day, and we did around 3 looks. We were shooting for a celebrity hairstylist, Dar, along with Daniel, who was the photographer, so it was so much fun around shooting in London, also because at that time a lot of shoots were going on, so I met Aamir Khan, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, and Rohit Shetty, so it felt like being in almost India with almost all of them around.”
Talking of London, something that she really enjoys is its heritage. The fact that it’s so British and so English, be it the buildings, the monuments, or the or the culture, is something much mesmerising for her. One gets to witness the old culture and heritage there, with its scenic beauty.
Travelling without experiencing the authentic cuisine of the place makes the trip feel incomplete. And talking of London, she shares, “At every corner, you have an Indian restaurant; you get Lebanese, Chinese, Thai, and Continental. You name it, and you have it! The tourism there is so diverse that people from every part of the world live in London. I have a lot of friends there and have spent a lot of time there, and thats not like a new city for me, and I actually meet a lot of locals, and it’s very common for me to interact with locals over there.”
Deepti, in our chat, reveals herself as a water baby who enjoys nothing but water. And so, boat rides are something she loves the most, more than road rides. “Life on water and in the in the sea is very different from living on land. I like the observations, the dos and don’ts, how they live, and the spirits are really high,” she shares as she goes on to recall a memorable boat ride in London: “There was this saxophonist who was there with me on one of the boat rides. So the boat was a very English kind of boat, and I was on the Thames River. That day, the weather was not good, so there were no other boats. There was just this boat that was sailing that day, and it was drizzling. The saxophonist was playing these beautiful songs, and it was amazing being there at the Thames.”
India, no doubt, holds a special place in her heart, especially for its diverse culture, language, and cuisine. “I love travelling in India as well, and not only across the globe. I feel first that you should complete your own country. How many of us would have visited all the places in India? We haven’t. From Kerala to Kashmir, there’s so much. From Assam to Bombay to Kolkata to the hills and valleys in Kashmir to Delhi to down south, there’s so much in our country.”
Sometimes choosing the right hotel feels like a staycation in itself, and our guest for the day couldn’t agree much to us as she shares, “Yes, choosing the right hotel is very important for your stay. It makes or breaks your vacation or travel. I also have the habit of choosing a lot of Airbnbs during my travels in European countries because I feel that they are better kept than the hotels and are more spacious. There are good hosts around. Even in London, I had this 2BHK airbnb right at the Beckingham gate. So I feel it’s not necessary to be in a hotel, but choosing the right kind of hotel and knowing the facilities that are there. I am someone who loves to swim and workout. So I want the hotel that has these facilities.”
We are sure many would agree with Deepti, as she shares that her home is her rejuvenation place and that she finds peace there. “I love to travel and explore. I have travelled to multiple countries. I have three passports, which I have completed by now, but the place that gives me that peace is my home. I have my dog with me and have a massage at home only. I would do so many things around, but I feel there’s nothing better than your home.”
For any avid travelling, experiencing something unexpected can turn out to be a nightmare. Sometimes these experiences also teach you, especially about being modest and about the little space you occupy on this big Earth. However, for her, it was not actually like a nightmare, but she did experience something: “I was travelling from London to Amsterdam, and I was at the train station and was just going to get a trolley for my bags, and in that one minute of time, somebody took off my trolley bags that had my laptop and all my cosmetics in them. I tried to file a complaint, but it was my mistake that I didn’t have an air tag on it. The bag just went away, and I never found it. These things definitely make you feel bad, and the next day I had to accept and not spoil the rest of my trip.”
For her, travel is all about meeting yourself, especially when you travel solo. Deepti, who prefers making friends on the trip rather than pre-deciding who to go with, shares on a concluding note, “I would love to travel with Taapsee Pannu because I have seen her travel vlogs with her sister. They both like to travel a lot, and they explore a lot of places. I think she will be an amazing travel partner because she loves and enjoys travel.”
