Sudipto Maity | @maightyman | 20 Jan 2018, 08:54 am
Bengali actor Saswata Chatterjee, who hit the national limelight with his portrayal of a cold blooded contract killer in Bollywood film Kahaani, says he joined the film industry because he wanted to go places. NITN correspondent Sudipto Maity catches up with the actor of Jagga Jasoos during a trip to Khairabera Eco Adventure Resorts in West Bengal's Purulia district.
What is travelling according to you?
To me, travelling is a way of life. You travel till you breathe.
Are you an avid traveller? How often do you like to travel?
Yeah, yeah. I set off alone these days. When I was a child, I was solely dependent on my dadamoshai (grandfather), he loved to travel. So, we made it a point to travel every year, if not anywhere else, to Puri (Odisha) for sure. Then there’s Bengali’s DIPUDA (Digha, Puri, Darjeeling) (laughs). I have been to all these places so many times and it never really gets old.
What are the five things you don’t travel without?
Camera, cap, shoes, jacket…well, it depends on the weather and a pair of sunglasses.
Have you prepared a travel bucket list?
No, I don’t plan and do things, I do it spontaneously. Same with travelling.
What’s your dream destination?
There’s no such dream destination for me. But, I am prepared to travel to Darjeeling every now and then.
While preparing a travel, what’s the biggest turn on and the biggest turn off?
The first thing I notice about a place is its people. I love to observe human beings. I believe that a place is as good as the people residing there. I have seen that if the natives are friendly, automatically the place attracts a lot more tourists.
I also didn’t like what happened in Darjeeling a few months ago. I don’t think the people of Darjeeling wanted something similar too. And in hindsight, it’s the natives who suffered the most. You and I, we have the option to travel to other places, but what about those people?
When it comes to travel in West Bengal, do you think the sector’s underappreciated?
Absolutely. Now the scenario is changing, a lot is happening, but, a lot could have been done. We have everything here in Bengal.
Do you think the sector suffers from a lack of promotion?
Yes. You must realise that we Bengalis love to travel, but how many of us know tourist places in Bengal apart from the regularly frequented ones? It is because we have never been shown before. Say for Purulia, you and I are sitting here surrounded by these beautiful hills, it’s serene… but what is the general consensus? We need to show these sides too. Purulia is a lot more than Chau dance. The state as a whole has a lot more to offer and we need to promote it effectively.
Banner Image: SVFSocial Instagram
- I am a big fan of volcanoes: Actor Abhishek Singh
- Wajid Ali Shah brought to Kolkata from Lucknow the dum pukht style of cooking: Sunita Kohli
- I try to immerse myself in culture of every country I visit: Chef Ben Ungermann
- I have been very fond of nature: Arijit Dutta
- You travel till you breathe: Actor Saswata Chatterjee
- Our USP is definitely our Wellness teas: Karma Kettle owners
- Our involvement with the Indigenous people is superb: Ontario Tourism Minister
- "Cotentin is completely different from the image the world currently has of Normandy"
- You can travel indefinitely for USD200 a month: Alex
- Five days are required to grant visas now: India's Consul General in Toronto
Jazeera Airways, Kuwait’s leading low-cost carrier, is offering 50% off on fares to all destinations across its network from July 28 to 31.
New Delhi : Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India and a part of the Tata group, has launched its "Time to Travel" sale on the airline’s website, airindiaexpress.com, the Air India Express mobile app and other major booking channels.
Tokyo: Airlines were forced to cancel over 300 flights following the collision between a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening even as reports said the plane was cleared to land ahead of the tragedy.