Manoj Bajpai

OT What do you love and/or hate about travelling

Manoj Bajpai I don&rsquot like travelling much actually, as I hate flying. What I do like about it, though, is that it is a great way to experience different cultures and get to know the world. But, honestly, travelling always stresses me out.

OT Any special childhood holidays...

Manoj Bajpai I belong to a very small village in Bihar called Belwa, and my father couldn&rsquot afford to take us on holidays. But I do remember a school trip very vividly. It was to Delhi and Kashmir. I was in Class VII then.

OT And your first shoot &mdash do you remember it

Manoj Bajpai It was in Dholpur for Bandit Queen at the beginning of 1993. The city, as you know, is part of the Chambal Ghati, infamous for its bandits, and I managed to meet a fair number of them. I have been told the bandits have disappeared now.

OT Where did you shoot your latest film, Chittagong

Manoj Bajpai We shot the entire movie in Lataguri, a small village-town near Jalpaiguri in North Bengal. As it lies near two national parks &mdash Gorumara and Chapramari &mdash we got a chance to see several wild elephants and bisons. This was in the winter of 2011.

OT Which of your films &lsquoframed&rsquo its location best

Manoj Bajpai I think the way Satya captured Mumbai, no other movie before, or even after, has managed to do.

OT Where was your last vacation

Manoj Bajpai I travelled to London with my wife and daughter for a fortnight in September last year. I really like that city as I find its history is still alive they haven&rsquot let modern architecture wipe out the city&rsquos old-world charm.

OT Any travel disasters

Manoj Bajpai Oh yes, many actually. The last one was on our trip to London. We had booked an apartment on the Internet. But when we reached there, we realised it was not as good as the site had promised. We decided to stay, though, because we had paid upfront.

OT Do your wife and you share the same ideas about what a holiday should be like

Manoj Bajpai Yes, we do, thankfully. While we look to explore and experience new things, creature comforts are just as important to both of us.

OT Five things you always carry with you...

Manoj Bajpai Wallet, credit card, passport, medicine, laptop.

OT What do you like to read when you travel

Manoj Bajpai Only scripts. I carry a load of them.

OT Where would you like to go next

Manoj Bajpai Two places New Zealand, as I have heard a lot about how beautiful it is and Iceland, to experience what it&rsquos like to have no separation between day and night. Besides, I am told that Iceland, like other Scandinavian countries, is very serene.