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People Did You Know Actor Vikram Bakshi (AKA Jitta From Animal) Has A Homestay In Kasar Devi?
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Did You Know Actor Vikram Bakshi (AKA Jitta From Animal) Has A Homestay In Kasar Devi?

Famed for his role as Jitta in the latest movie Animal, actor Vikram Bakshi gets candid about his journey to acting, his homestay, and more.

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By: Bayar Jain Published: Dec 28, 2023 03:43 PM IST

Did You Know Actor Vikram Bakshi (AKA Jitta From <i> Animal</i>) Has A Homestay In Kasar Devi?

A hotel professional-turned-businessman-turned-actor, Vikram Bakshi is a man of many traits. In his latest act, the self-proclaimed banjaara (nomad) donned the role of Jitta in the Hindi language movie, Animal. The entrepreneur gets candid with Travel+Leisure India & South Asia about this journey, his travels, and his 100-year-old homestay in Kasar Devi, Uttarakhand.

Excerpts from the interview with Vikram Bakshi:

T+L India: What sparked your passion for travelling?

Vikram Bakshi

Vikram Bakshi: I was a curious kid who wanted to discover more. I was always excited to go out, meet new people and hear their stories. When I moved to Chennai for my graduation, it gave me a free hand to explore more since I lived alone. It was only during that time when I developed a complex understanding of what travel is; and the difference between being a tourist and a traveller. With luck, I chose a profession that allowed me to visit different parts of the country and interact with different people. Every time I’m in a new destination, I enjoy understanding the local way of living — their food, rituals, clothes, customs. I started learning how places are so different, yet so interconnected and similar. The more I met people and heard their tales, the more it sparked my interest in travel.

T+L India: Can you share a memorable experience from your journeys?

Travelling with Bakshi

Vikram Bakshi: There are so many! The last time I was travelling to the UK, I visited a place called Westcliff with a friend of mine. That’s where the English Channel begins. It’s a small, quaint little seaside town. While there isn’t much to do, but something about it appealed to me. There was a calmness there. While walking around, I noticed different kinds of architecture. I parked myself on a bench overlooking the Bay while eating a sandwich. Just then, I saw a beautiful, shimmering red Ferrari Daytona zip through the road. Although it was a cloudy day with the sun just peeping through, I remember the beautiful car vividly. At that moment, I was spellbound. It felt like a frame straight out a movie.

I had a similar experience while looking at a meteorite shower somewhere near the Indo-China border in Uttarakhand. While they’re both distinct phenomena, the satisfaction of living it was almost the same.

T+L India: You have a homestay in Kasar Devi. Tell us more about the space and how it came into being.

Mulberry House.

Vikram Bakshi: It is called Mulberry House. It’s a 100-year-old Kumaoni homestay. It has three individual units, so it’s more on the lines of a luxury full-service homestay. [The homestay started because] surviving in Mumbai is not an easy feat. I needed a secondary source of income that I could rely on while I tried figuring my way around acting. Plus, it was nice to have a place for myself to stay in. We worked on the homestay for about a year, and thankfully my experience in hotels and their operations helped.

T+L India: What led you to choose Kasar Devi?

Kasar Devi

Vikram Bakshi: I had a chance to visit Kasar Devi in 2019 when I was switching careers from hotels to acting. I wanted a little downtime right before the grind. I had visited Kasar Devi to meet a friend, and I immediately fell in love with the place. It was raw and had so many stories to tell. Many remarkable names like Swami Vivekananda ji, Bob Dylan, and Uma Thurman have been a part of its history. When I visited, it wasn’t as commercial as it is now. We would spend hours talking to the older generations of the village, listening to their stories and experiences. They would tell us about Kasar Devi’s hippie culture of the 70s and 80s.

Plus, the views here are something else! Irrespective of the unfortunate commercialisation across the world, nothing can beat the 270-degree views of the Himalayas from here. When I chanced upon Kasar Devi, I stayed back for a while. And then the lockdown hit, [so I stayed on]. For the next month, I stayed in Kasar Devi with my friend from Jodhpur. The place grew on me. We discovered a lot of waterfalls, trails, and wildlife. The place made its way to my heart and I started spending more time here.

T+L India: How did you journey into the film industry?

Acting

Vikram Bakshi: Just two days after moving to Mumbai, a childhood friend of mine reached out to me for an advertising project he was working on. It was a non-paid, collaborative set-up. He needed a model urgently and requested me to shoot for it. He told me that it was a short role that would last only four seconds. Despite that, I spent the whole day on set because I loved the energy. I felt so alive the entire day. It was a nice change from what I was doing otherwise, too.

Immediately after that, someone approached me for a student film project. In a couple of years, a third project came my way. But all of this was happening simultaneously with my hotel job. In 2019, after spending 11 or 12 years in the hotel industry, I wanted to do something more. I took the leap of faith and got into acting — it was the only other thing I did apart from hospitality! I gave myself time, spent a few years understanding the craft and waited to see where things would lead me.

T+L India: What drew you to the movie Animal?

Animal

Vikram Bakshi: Animal chose me! In 2022-2023, I was waiting to return to Mumbai as I had settled other aspects [of my life] by then. I had started a travel company with my friend, Mulberry House also had its first season. Next, I wanted to start from where I left off. I had met a friend a year before, telling him that I would love to act again and to keep me in mind if anything came up. A year later, he called me saying that he was working in casting now and that if he had a project he could push me for, he would. And he did! I got a call in July last year about a film being directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Ranbir Kapoor as the lead. They told me that they were looking for someone to play one of his cousins, and I agreed to be a part of it.

T+L India: How did you prepare for the role and what challenges did you face during the same?

Animal

Vikram Bakshi: When I was cast, the only information I had then was that the story would be backdropped in Punjab. There was a chance that I may or may not play a Sikh character. The only preparation I could do then was growing my hair and beard, and following the basic lifestyles of a Sikh man.

The biggest challenge was getting back on set! I was nervous to return. Although I had shot a short movie — that is yet to come out — in 2021, a year and a half had passed since I was on set. Performing alongside such brilliant performers and artists for a project of such a large scale was overwhelming at first. I had to get over that state of mind. After that, though, it was a breeze! I am blessed to have worked with such amazing people on the film.

T+L India: You juggle between Jodhpur, Mumbai and Kasar. In your experience, how diverse are these locations in its day to day living?

Kasar

Vikram Bakshi: Firstly, they’re all geographically very different. One is the seaside, the other is high up in the Himalayas, and the third is in the Great Desert of India. That way, I think I’ve got the best of all terrains and experiences to hustle between. It’s like moving from one-holiday destination to another!

The ultimate distinction is in the way people live. Kasar is slow-paced, calm, and quiet. You often hear birds chirping and children playing in villages. A few meters away, you’ve got 270-degree panoramic views of the mountains. Jodhpur is simple, too but it’s more of a town. It holds the charm of being developed but still being tucked away in time somewhere. Mumbai, on the other hand, is extremely fast-paced. Everybody is running around. In Mumbai, if you don’t have an objective to be there, it can drive you up a wall. But if you’re clear about what to do, it pushes you hard. Kasar is the opposite! It’s a recharging station where you return to connect with nature and slow down.

But each place comes together to create a balance. Mumbai pushes you hard, Kasar gives you time to introspect, and when all of it becomes monotonous, Jodhpur welcomes you back home.

T+L India: Travelling can be a transformative experience for many. Can you recount any such instance for you?

Kasar

Vikram Bakshi: There’s a small village called Nako near Kaza. One night, I was lying down on the grass there and looking up at the sky. I don’t think I can ever articulate what it felt like. I could see the stars, skies, and other galaxies with vivid clarity. I remember counting 70-80 shooting stars that evening. By the end, I was blank — the visual was that absorbing! At that moment, I realised how insignificant one can be. That night reignited the fire in me to let go of all inhibitions because, in the end, none of it matters on the larger scale of things. Whatever it was that I was being afraid or sceptical about didn’t matter. That experience gave me the answers [to know what what it is I wanted to do next].

T+L India: As someone who loves exploring new cultures, what’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your interactions with people from different parts of the world?

Vikram Bakshi

Vikram Bakshi: To be kind. Wherever you travel, it’s often the people that leave an impact on you. There are some places which just are so beautifully sketched in your memory because of the interactions you’ve had with the people there — and these don’t come from any personal gain. It is just natural human kindness.

T+L India: In your opinion, what makes a destination truly unforgettable?

Vikram Bakshi: The state of mind you’re travelling in. At times, you’re visiting a place just to chill, party, and be with people. At the same time, some destinations remain unforgettable because you enjoyed the seclusion.

T+L India: Your bucket list destinations and why?

Vikram Bakshi: Norway for the Northern Lights. They’re a fast disappearing phenomenon and they may not last for many years. I would like to experience it once before it diminishes or reduces.

Related: Lights, Camera, Travel: Journeying Across The Stunning Shooting Locations Of Animal

Written By

Bayar Jain

Bayar Jain

Senior Content Manager

Equipped with a degree in Sociology (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism and Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, Bayar enjoys sharing stories of people, places, and different cultures. When not typing her travel tales, you can catch the hobbyist photographer capturing ..Read More

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