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Footloose with Khalid
“It is all very well to plan a vacation but it is altogether a different thing to put the plan into action. Anxiety about what to pack, where to stay, where to find decent meals, and of course the sight-seeing and shopping aspects can definitely dilute the fun, which is why it is always a smart idea to do some homework before venturing into foreign territory,” says Khalid Hasan Khan at the start of the interview. He is the host of an ongoing travel show called Kuch Sair, Kuch Safar and has a fairly impressive track record on television for hosting interesting talk shows.
In the programme aired on Sundays on Indus Plus, Khalid exclusively focuses on one country per episode, covering the dynamics of travelling to the country along with the various real issues that an average traveller can face during the stay there. Every episode of the show plays host to a guest who has been associated with the country under discussion. “The need arose after watching travel shows on the local media both past and present and I felt there had to be one show that gave basic knowledge to the would-be traveller. Mostly, we prefer to call honourary consuls since they are not only better aware of the visa procedure, but can also give a detailed account of the culture, taboos, flight schedules, shopping areas, and other things in general,” he says. But the guest-list so far has also included many celebrities, including his personal favourite, Ardeshir Cowasjee, whom he keeps quoting throughout the interview, along with other noteworthy personalities who bring with them their enriching experience.
Khalid says he likes to call the show a crash-course on “budget-tourism” since it is an excellent guide on how to travel within limited means. Even for those who have no travel plans, the programme makes an interesting watch with its fascinatingly detailed discussions about various countries. “Many anecdotes are included to add further zest to the programme, even to the point of asking guests to bring a souvenir of that particular country with them to the show,” he says. This, he opines, lends a touch of reality, besides giving the viewers an idea of what to expect in terms of purchases. Other than that, he also covers the finer points like the current currency rate, population and the important vernaculars to be kept in mind within the country.
‘Not many people know that New Zealand does not have an embassy here, or that you will not find chocolate in Beijing. The idea is not only to bring awareness among people, but to develop their travel quotient,’ says Khalid Hasan Khan
“It is actually very elementary,” adds Khalid. “Whenever any of our friends or relatives go abroad, they return with a plethora of anecdotes and experiences that we all love to hear. Kuch Sair, Kuch Safar is actually a formalised version of that.” It certainly seems to be so, particularly when the guests relate their experiences: the good, the bad and the extraordinary.
“Not many people know that New Zealand does not have an embassy here,” says Khalid, adding, “or that you will not find chocolate in Beijing. The idea is not only to bring awareness among people, but to develop their travel quotient. Not everyone who watches the show will pack his/her bags, but it will definitely give them a better understanding of alien countries and cultures.”
Khalid says the show has recently branched out into more generic themes; now it has begun to include community-based programmes as well. In one such programme, Adeshir Cowasjee was called to talk about the Parsi community; in another Chisty Mujahid was called to discuss West Indies with particular reference to the then upcoming cricket World Cup. And yet another show was devoted to medical tourism, that is, where to find best medical services for certain illnesses.
“All this requires a lot of hard work,” he says, adding, “we use around 500 thematic images in the background for each country for that particular episode.” Most of the pictures are taken off the Internet, but even that can be a major hassle at times. “Can you believe that we found 500 to 600 images of Liechtenstein — a country in Europe — on the Internet, and just handful images of Moenjodaro?”
Khalid says that one of the major hassles that his team faces is finding the right guest. “A lot of people may have visited India, but not everybody can be articulate enough to present things in the right manner,” he says. “And so we have to be very particular about whom we select and the aspect he/she will cover. But once the guest arrives on stage and the action is on, one can look forward to a rolling venture into a new place with inviting images and the soft sound of the country’s national anthem being played in the background,” he says.
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