Zareen travels to popular movie spots in new show

The actor talks about why a particular location was chosen and puts together fun facts about the director on ‘Jeep Bollywood Trails’

Bollywood actor Zareen Khan will make her small screen debut with ‘Jeep Bollywood Trails.’ The AXN show, that premiered on January 25, has the star visit a few locations where popular films were shot. She not only explores the place but also fishes out fun facts about the director who shot the particular film. In an interview with Metrolife, Zareen talks about her experience of pulling off a new and innovative concept.

What made you accept this series?

The show combines two of my passions — acting and travelling. It gave me the opportunity to drive across India in a Jeep. We spoke to 10 of the top directors in Bollywood and asked them about their favourite locations where they have shot their iconic films. They shared their experiences with us as to why they chose a certain location and the idea behind choosing that spot. We asked the directors to recall the best moments during their shoot there. So, with that input, I visited these locations by myself and relived all the things that the directors had told us in their interviews and tried to show that to the audience. I don’t think I could have asked for a better show to make my television debut.

What was it like for you to explore these places and what struck you most about them?

I have been to some of these places before but driving there all by myself was a new experience. It made me see India in a completely new light and gave me an insight into the lives of the local people, the flavours they enjoy and more. No two locations are alike. For instance, Udaipur was historically very rich, Varanasi was culturally beautiful and Leh Ladakh was surreal. Every place has its own history, culture and way of life.

What background work did you do to understand the culture of these places?

Since I am a travel addict, I enjoy reading about places that I don’t have much knowledge about. So, I was somewhat aware of the culture and history of these places before going there.

Do you connect with locals?

I do connect with the locals of every destination. In fact, we have a local guest for every episode that we are doing. And it’s great to be interacting with the local crowd because nobody can show you around their city or tell you more about the city than them.

What is the show’s aim?

The aim is that it connects Bollywood with travel. I am sure after watching this show, people will return to watch these films. They will then be able to relate to it better because they would have gathered more information about the location where the films were shot. We have included a lot of fun facts about the directors and their experiences when shooting the film. This lends a lot of value to the show.