Samantha, Our December Cover Star, Reveals Why Dubai Has Her Heart

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‘Every Time I Come To Dubai, There’s Always Something New’ — Samantha, December Cover Star

Samantha is now a household name, thanks to The Family Man and a glittering film career. Not one to give in to setbacks, the actor recently took off for Dubai for an exclusive cover shoot with Travel + Leisure India & South Asia. By Aindrila Mitra

Travel + Leisure India: How many times have you been to Dubai?

Samantha: I’ve lost count, honestly. But every time I come to Dubai, there’s always something new. The city is always moving forward, and it never gets old… because of the food, the experiences, and yes, the shopping. It keeps giving you more and more. And you have friends living here…Yes, I do. I have school friends who have moved here, and it’s very easy to plan a vacation to Dubai because it’s quite close [to India], especially if you cannot take too many days off.

Travel + Leisure India: What does travel mean to you?

Samantha: My profession is such that you can get burnt out easily. It’s creative, and there’s only so much you can draw from your subconscious and from your daily life. Travel gives me a new perspective. Usually, you imagine things and [act] them out, but when I travel, I get to see it in reality—in different cultures and new experiences. Travel adds to my performance in many ways.

Travel + Leisure India: What was your first memorable trip?

Samantha: My first memorable trip was to New York, because I had never been abroad before [that] and I was shooting for my first film [in 2009]. It was surreal and magical.

Travel + Leisure India: Any other destination that you discovered because of work?

Samantha: I travelled to Nepal for work. I didn’t know much about the place, but once I did, it was a very enriching experience. The architecture, the little temples, the food, and the people—[everything] is so warm and friendly. And after I shot in Nepal, the earthquake happened [in 2015]. It was very close, in fact, and some of the places that I visited were destroyed. I can revisit those places in my memory now.

Travel + Leisure India: Was there a trip that had an impact on you?

Samantha: My most recent trip to the Himalayas. I’ve always wanted to visit [the mountains] I’ve read about in Indian literature and in the Mahabharata. My takeaway from the Himalayas was [that] it is a mix of myth and reality—it’s magical. The energy there is something that I have never experienced in my life. I wouldn’t call myself religious, but I am spiritual, and there was something truly spiritual [in the Himalayas]. I was lucky to do the Char Dham Yatra of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

Travel + Leisure India: Any other spiritual destinations you would recommend to our readers?

Samantha: Varanasi is magical. Tirupati is a big favourite of mine. I understand now, after travelling through Rishikesh, the Himalayas, and Tirupati, why so many international travellers come to India for spiritual awakening.

Travel + Leisure India: In terms of work, how do you think The Family Man, and OTT content in general, is changing entertainment?

Samantha: I always believed that every actor comes with an expiry date. OTT has changed that. With OTT, you cannot write off a good actor, because he/she will find space. Women especially are getting more meaty roles, which we weren’t [earlier] with commercial films. I don’t know about the heroes, but for the heroines it’s a huge change.