Actor Deepakk Dutta, who was recently seen in the film Daadi Ki Shaadi alongside Neetu Kapoor, believes that travelling is much more than simply visiting new destinations. For him, travel is an essential part of life—one that allows people to break away from routine, discover new experiences and return with a renewed sense of energy. Drawing a parallel between life and travel, the actor says that every individual is a traveller in their own way.
“Travelling is a very important part of our lives because I feel that life itself is a journey. We are all travellers, and I truly believe in this philosophy. Every person who has come into this world is, in their own way, a traveller. So, keep on travelling,” he says.
Sharing a line by poet Nida Fazli that resonates deeply with him, Deepakk adds, “There is a beautiful line by Nida Fazli: ‘Apni marzi ke kahan apne safar ke hum hain, rukh hawaon ka jidhar ka hai udhar ke hum hain.’ We cannot always choose the direction of our journey; sometimes, we simply follow where the winds take us. Our entire life is a journey, and this is our travelogue. Since we are all travellers, travel becomes a very important part of our lives.”
For Deepakk, travelling is also a way of escaping the predictability of everyday life. He feels that people often spend most of their lives surrounded by the same places, roads and faces, which can eventually make life monotonous.
“Everyone should travel. You learn a lot through travel. You visit different places, see different faces, hear different languages, taste different food and experience different visuals. If you look at it, we spend almost 80 percent of our lives following the same routine. From the time you wake up in the morning until you go to sleep at night, most of the faces and roads in front of you remain the same. Your home, your doors, your bed, your neighbourhood, your society—everything remains familiar. So, life can become very monotonous,” he explains.
He believes that even a short break can make a considerable difference. “When you step out and travel every six months or so, it at least breaks the monotony and the sameness. You know how they say that stagnant water starts to collect moss? Similarly, anything that becomes stagnant or comes to a standstill eventually creates a sense of sameness and monotony. To break that monotony, we should travel,” Deepakk says.
According to him, travelling not only exposes people to new surroundings but also brings a renewed sense of energy when they return. “Even if you’ve just taken a two-day break, it is still very important. You return feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Your body and mind get recalibrated. That’s why I feel travel is something everyone should definitely do. Travelling is very important for every human being,” he says.
As an actor, however, much of Deepakk’s travel has been connected to work. He recently spent nearly two months in Mashobra, Himachal Pradesh, for a shoot, an experience that made him realise just how dramatically a change in environment can affect one’s state of mind. “In my life, nowadays, because we are actors and are associated with this industry, work travel tends to happen a lot. You have shoots, so you end up travelling out of town. Family trips happen as well, but work travel becomes a big part of your life,” he shares.
Talking about his extended stay in Mashobra, he recalls, “I recently spent almost 50–55 days in Mashobra, Himachal Pradesh, for a shoot. After spending so much time there, when you come back, you always find it difficult to readjust to everything—from the weather to the environment.”
Describing the location, he says, “We were shooting in Mashobra, which is an incredibly beautiful place, about 15 kilometres above Shimla. For almost 1 kilometre, you barely see anyone. It’s such a peaceful place, surrounded by mountains and valleys. So, when we came back to Mumbai, it felt a little strange for all of us.”
The contrast between the serene hills and Mumbai’s fast-paced environment was particularly striking. “Suddenly, there was so much traffic, so many people and so much happening around us. You actually start missing the place you’ve just come back from. For me, it took quite some time to adjust to Mumbai again because we had been away shooting outdoors for such a long period,” he says.
While he has travelled extensively for work, Deepakk admits that since the pandemic, he has felt less inclined to travel frequently. However, Goa remains one destination he continues to enjoy, particularly because of its combination of greenery and the sea. “I’ve been wanting to travel less since the pandemic. Goa is a place we’ve known and visited with our family or friends. I feel it’s a very close and convenient destination where you get both greenery and the sea. There are very few places where you get to experience both together,” he says.
“Going to Goa always feels great. Even if you go just for three or four days, it feels incredibly refreshing. And when you come back, you feel like you’ve been away from your routine and the monotony of everyday life,” he adds.
The actor also believes that travel can bring about an internal change, especially when one takes the time to reflect and look within. “Anyone who travels, especially if you are a little meditative and take the time to look within, can feel the change. Every person experiences some kind of transformation when they return from a trip or a journey,” he says.
For Deepakk, the rejuvenating effect of travel can be compared to clearing an overloaded memory card. “We live our lives following the same routine, and it’s almost like a memory card that eventually gets completely full. Everything becomes repetitive and stagnant. When you step away from that routine and travel, you get the chance to unwind. It’s like clearing that memory card and putting away things that have been unnecessarily stored in your mind,” he explains.
“When you come back, you feel lighter. You feel a certain energy and positivity within yourself. Of course, that feeling may last for a few days, 10 days, 15 days, a month or even two months. Eventually, you return to the same routine, and that feeling begins to fade. That’s why I feel you should take a break every four or five months, just to break the monotony and the sameness of everyday life. Travel gives you that opportunity to reset, unwind and come back with a renewed sense of energy,” he adds.
Interestingly, despite his strong belief in travelling, Deepakk has never really taken a conventional solo trip. His only significant solo journey, he says, was when he moved from Delhi to Mumbai nearly three decades ago. “No, I have never really gone on a solo trip. I wish I could, and I would like to, but in the hustle and bustle of life, I have never really had the opportunity to take a solo trip. The only solo trip I actually took was when I moved from Delhi to Mumbai to build my career, leaving behind my family and friends. Thirty years ago, that solo trip was the biggest decision I had ever taken in my life, as it changed my life completely,” he reveals. The move also left him with an interesting sense of belonging. Having spent years in Mumbai, Deepakk says he is now considered a Mumbaikar, while his Delhi roots continue to follow him.
“After living here in Mumbai, I became a Mumbaikar. And that is also quite strange because when you go back to Delhi, people there say, ‘Oh, the Mumbai person has come,’ while in Mumbai, they say, ‘You’re from Delhi.’ So, your identity becomes a bit of a question—you end up feeling like you don’t completely belong anywhere,” he says.
However, for Deepakk, that feeling ultimately reinforces the larger philosophy he associates with travel and life. “You are ultimately from Hindustan, from India. And that is something to be very proud of. There is something beautiful about travelling. I actually feel that it is about going wherever the winds take you, wherever the journey takes you, and enjoying the journey in your own way,” he adds.
