An escape into the hinterlands

With the mundane routine that the urban lives are filled with, it is not so often that we see a couple of actors going on a road trip across the country. Actor buddies Kunal Kapoor and Cyrus Sahukar have decided to celebrate India’s unexplored and the unseen through their road trip.

Their journey across the old Tibetan highway to re-discover the heart of the Himalayas and to explore the quaint towns of Andretta, Rampur, Rakcham Valley and many more hidden locations, will soon be aired on Fox Life as the Great Escape with Kunal and Cyrus. Ahead of the show’s premiere, the actors speak about what made them take up the adventure, the connection they share and about Indian cultures from the unmapped locations they’ve traversed through the show.

The connection that the duo share over the past 20 years has been one of the major reasons to take up a trip of this sort, says Kunal. “Sahu (Cyrus Sahukar) and I have been friends for over two decades and we made several plans to travel together, but it never really worked out. We then got this opportunity where we could be ourselves and travel together on a road trip which made it really exciting,” Kunal shares.

The friends were constantly looking at ways to challenge themselves like cliff jumping, river rafting and kayak races to get away from the urbane bounds, the Dear Zindagi actor elaborates. “At times the trip was very daunting, with the mountains and the high altitudes being challenging, and loopy,” he says, adding that having a travel partner like Cyrus made it fun.

“I spoke to Kunal first as an 18-year-old and he was the first friend I ever made in Mumbai. It’s been a rare friendship in many ways,” Cyrus adds. The trip has definitely helped in deepening their bond, the duo agrees.

Apart from adventure that the mountains provided them with, the insight into the cultures and the life stories of people they met were enriching, says Cyrus. “We met a post master at the world’s highest post office in Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh, a man who would walk around 40 kms every day to deliver letters, the only form of communication for the villagers around — all these glimpses into their lives were very enthralling.”

“The journey taught us about how there’s so much to see and explore within India, and it’s sad we look for other countries every time we want to travel,” Kunal signs off.

(Great Escape with Kunal and Cyrus premieres on June 23 at 8 pm on Fox Life)