Sara Ali Khan enjoys travelling to other parts of the world, but she is especially passionate about seeing India’s stunning locations and experiencing all that our nation has to offer. Her heart is closer to home, as seen by her Instagram photos. She takes her audience and fans on an entertaining and enlightening journey that takes them from the charming streets of Amsterdam and Paris to the immaculate vaadiyan of Kashmir, Spiti, and Kedarnath. “There’s an internal joke in the family that for me, the UK is not London (United Kingdom), but Uttarakhand”, says the actress.
Sara is blown away by how versatile India’s travel options are
“From Chennai to Manali, you get such diverse landscapes and food,” the woman remarks. The atmosphere of Goa contrasts sharply with the peace and quiet of Kashmir. I’m drawn to all of it, as well as our nation’s diversity in terms of culture and religion. The atmosphere of Kedarnath Temple, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is incredibly serene. Additionally, people differ from location to place in terms of language spoken. When I visited a dhaba while hiking in Amarnath, I recall that all I did was watch people and their talks.
She claims that one of the key reasons she loves travelling the nation is that, at her core, she is a true desi who appreciates dining at local restaurants and lodging in local lodgings. She says, “I eat with my hands; chokdi maarke khaana achcha lagta hai. Also, things changed for me after a trip I made with my friend. I graduated in 2016, and I had a lot of time on hand. My close friend and I hired a car and went on a road trip from Delhi to Jaipur and many other places. We explored the true beauty of India. Then, something happened to me when I was shooting Kedarnath (2018). It was my first film that was shot at such a high-energy centre (Kedarnath). I can’t imagine my life today without Kedarnath. I hadn’t experienced any of that till 2017. While I feel this way about Kedarnath, I don’t know what I will find in the south, Odisha or Meghalaya in the years to come.”
Sara believes that travelling opens up all your senses.
Remembering one of her early memories of a trip with her father, Saif Ali Khan, she says, “My mother had told me that I had accompanied my father for a shoot where I saw snow for the first time. I asked them to stop the car, and I said, ‘Ek box mein snow bhar do I want to keep it with me forever’. I’m sure I wondered what that sparkling white thing was. I also like to spend time at my dad’s heritage home in Haryana, the Pataudi Palace. Sometimes, we have dadi and my aunt joining us, too. I love the greenery and weather there.”
Studying overseas, Sara remains in contact with her college pals, whom she persuaded to visit Kashmir and Kerala when they arrived in India. She says, “Right from the tranquillity of the ocean to the serenity of the mountains and bustling city life, we have everything you would want to experience as a traveller. I believe that when you go to the most remote parts of our country, you find your true self.”
By: Gursharan Kaur