OT: What does a holiday mean to you?
Nimrat Kaur: For me, a holiday is me
OT: What are your favourite holiday destinations?
Nimrat Kaur: Several places are close to my heart. Los Angeles because it is work, vacation and fun. New York is always buzzing with life and activity. I have been there several times but, no matter what, I always find something interesting and new to do there. Another favourite for the sheer joy of how the place is has to be Cape Town. It has all the quintessentially necessary things that could make for an amazing holiday—mountains, sea, wildlife, great food, spas, nightlife, and shopping! To satisfy my retail therapy urges, I like Dubai.
OT: Which has been your most memorable holiday?
Nimrat Kaur: I will choose a few for varied reasons. Attending the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles was work too, but more like a vacation—and a dream one at that! I was standing on the same carpet as Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Ethan Hawke!
Another vacation that is vividly carved in my memory is swimming with sharks in Cape Town. During my childhood, my grandparents’ house in Pilani was my idea of total fun. We’d sleep on cots on the roofs of mud houses and bathe with tubewells. My trips to Delhi, especially around Diwali, which involve endless feasting, are holidays I look forward to.
OT: What do you enjoy most on holidays?
Nimrat Kaur: I love to not have an agenda. I read a lot, and if I am lucky and can catch a few plays, so much the better!
OT: Any travel tips?
Nimrat Kaur: I am the worst person to be asked because I am so disorganised. My packing begins several days before I am to travel. I take forever to decide—not just what to pack or not—but even when I have to get ready to leave. I have this paranoia about getting dehydrated on flights. So I drink water like a camel and moisturise myself before, during and after a flight. I finish a whole tube of my lip balm on a return flight. I also don’t drink alcohol because I am worried if I overdo it and fall into a stupor, I will not be able to cope in any emergency!
OT: What do you pick up while on holiday?
Nimrat Kaur: Everything. Right from art and curios to little trinkets, make-up, shoes, clothes—you name it!
OT: Which places do you want to visit?
Nimrat Kaur: All of South America, Spain, Bordeaux, Japan and Greenland.