OT:  What does a holiday mean to you?

Prabhas: I think it is a chance to switch off from anything regimented or hectic. All professionals, wherever they may be working, are perpetually chasing something. A holiday is an opportunity to journey within. It is also a chance to chill, to relax. It is when I switch on my rest mode.

OT: What do you do when you visit a new place?

Prabhas: I do read up about what to do—even if I am going there for work and know there may not be time to roam around. I also visit cafés and restaurants. But now I do that with a cap or bandana to help me go incognito.

OT: Which are your favourite destinations?

Prabhas : Los Angeles is great for partying, and also for its sights and sounds. I like Dubai because of the sheer scale on which the city is built. It is completely futuristic but with a warm, old-world ethos. I like all of Europe too, especially Bulgaria. The Serengeti in Tanzania is always my first choice when I want to connect with nature. At the end of the day, however, home

is where the heart is. Back home, I find small towns very peaceful. When my father and uncle were still in the film business, we had a tradition of travelling to the temple town of Srisailam to screen every film before its release. I still go there often.

OT: What do you pack in your luggage?

Prabhas:  Basic necessities—clothes, shoes and, these days, caps, sunglasses and other stuff so that I am not recognised.

OT: And what do you bring back from your holidays?

Prabhas: Mostly photos, but also gadgets. I enjoy cooking every now and then, and like experimenting with flavours, so I pick up a lot of spices. I picked up several condiments and masalas for chicken recipes, from Dubai.

OT: Name some places you’d like to visit?

Prabhas: I recently went whale watching in California. I want to do that again. I definitely want to visit the poles and also spend some time in China—maybe visit a Shaolin school.