For many in showbiz, the last week of the year is a time to travel, relax and prepare to usher in the New Year. Metrolife asked some actors what their plans are this year.
Ragini Dwivedi
Temple run after Jan 1
Ragini, leading lady of ‘Veera Madakari’, ‘Kempe Gowda’, ‘Kalla Malla Sulla’ and ‘Ragini IPS’, says she usually works on December 31 and January 1.
“I take a break after that when places are less crowded. Travel is a rejuvenating affair. I make it a point to visit a few temples to start the year on a good note,” she says. Ragini gravitates towards beach destinations. “That is because I love deep-sea diving. The Maldives is best for adventure sports,” she says.
exploring new destinations.
Nirup Bhandari
Unplanned travel works best
Nirup Bhandari, hero of the blockbuster hit ‘RangiTaranga’, was also seen in ‘Rajaratha’, ‘Amar’ and ‘Aadi Lakshmi Puraana’. With his ‘travel buddy’ and wife Dhanya, he takes off to
explore less-known destinations as the year comes to a close. They have been to Europe, France and Germany on year-end trips. “Our last vacation was to the Carribean Island. We aren’t travelling too far this year because Dhanya has come down for a vacation from the US. We plan to go to a friend’s new resort in Kodagu. And we will go with the flow. Unplanned travels work best for us,” says Nirup. Nirup and Dhanya prefer to plan their trips by themselves and don’t take help from tourist guides. “We love to explore a place on our own. We try not to go to the typical touristy places. We choose some place that is quiet and have long conversations. We don’t feel pressured to follow a plan,” he says.
Dhanya and Nirup have a common interest in history. Any place that is steeped in history catches their attention. “We don’t click too many pictures. The main idea is to get away from the mad pace of the city,” he says.
Dhanya Ramkumar
Headed for Kochi backwaters
A third-generation actor from the Rajkumar family, Dhanya Ramkumar is heading to a resort in the backwaters of Kochi for the New Year.
She is making her debut in the Kannada film industry this year with ‘Ninna Sanihake.’ “We booked a resort villa and interestingly its door opens out into an infinity backwater. I usually spend the last week of the year with my family and this is the first time that I am travelling for New Year,” says Dhanya. When the year ends with friends, it is all about partying.
Vasishta N Simha
More of Karnataka in new year
Vasishta N Simha, known for his work in ‘KGF: Chapter 1’, ‘Tagaru’, ‘Mufti’ and ‘Dayavittu Gamanisi’, prefers to travel after January 1.
He is a keen explorer of places in Karnataka. “The only place that I haven’t been to is Belagavi. I hope to head there soon,” he says.
Travelling helps one understand the culture and learn languages, he believes.
“I love learning and unravelling the history behind languages. I can read and write Telugu, read a bit of Tamil, and understand Bengali, Punjabi and Kashmiri. My next visit will be about learning to speak these languages,” he sums up.