OT: Your definition of a holiday…

Javed Akhtar: Depending on my level of boredom, it can mean many things — if I just want to be with my wife, I holiday at our house in Khandala, but if I want solitude to write, it would mean some days at a secluded and picturesque place. Generally, I define a holiday as a chance to invest in happiness.

 

OT: Your most memorable holiday…

Javed Akhtar: A trip to Bintan Island by boat from Singapore — we stayed there for three days. I also loved visiting Victor Hugo’s home in Paris, and once travelled to Bhutan to attend the Bhutan Festival of Literature, Arts & Culture. That was a complete holiday — picturesque views, engaging conversation, and lots to do.

OT: What do you enjoy most about holidays?

Javed Akhtar: Holidays give me time for myself, and for my wife. We lead a very hectic life. I’m mostly away for mushairas and meetings, and she’s busy with her theatre, confer­ences and women’s liberation events. So much so, we often meet at the airport, where she brings me a bag of clothes. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and ask the servants where she is, they remind me she’s gone somewhere for a conference. Sometimes when I wake up at a place other than home, I wonder how I got there.

 

OT: While holidaying, you wish you could…

Javed Akhtar: Travel by train, if given a choice. It is like meditation. I can spend hours daydreaming during my journey; I read, stare out of the windows or into nothingness and finally fall asleep to the somewhat reassuring clacking of the wheels. I feel insulated from the demands of fam­ily and friends, worries of the workplace, entrapments of the digital age and the urban cacophony that is a vital, but unwanted, part of my daily life. I will, however, admit that you need a high level of tolerance for the deteriorating level of hygiene in trains and stations to be able to enjoy a train journey.

 

OT: A memorable place that you stayed in…

Javed Akhtar: I like the Ravine Hotel in Panchgani. It has a serene and tranquil setting, overlooking the entire panorama of the val­ley. That they serve very good food is like icing on the cake.

In addition, I must mention my stay at Khonoma village, about half an hour from Kohima. The village is said to be around 700 years old and is surrounded by hills that are as high as 9,000ft. One of the outstanding features of Khonoma village is the Kuda (literally ‘a place of defence’) fort. It was here that the Naga warriors made their last stand against the British in 1879.

 

OT: What do you splurge on while on holiday?

Javed Akhtar: My wife and I eat well, live well. We sometimes spend on gadgets and interesting books.

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