The Road Trip With Kirron Kher

Kirron Kher is out on the streets of Chandigarh canvassing for a seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. And for those accompanying her, it's an experience that they will not forget soon. And I am talking from personal experience. 

I had the good fortune to travel with her to Shillong last month. A helicopter was booked so that the tedious road journey of 3 hours from Guwahati, through a uphill terrain that was being constructed, could be done away with. But Kirron, who is afraid of flying preferred going by car.

My first surprise on meeting her at the Guwahati airport was with her attire. Gone was the benarasi saree with her lovely antique jewellery and the perfectly coiffed bun with the gajra. Standing next to the baggage carousel was the lady in black tights, sweatshirt, a gorgeous black ankle length coat with her glorious hair left open, that hung to her waist. She looked HOT...

Kirron picked up her luggage and headed for the food

counter. She was planning for a picnic as she chose cheese sandwiches and diet coke, while saying no to bottled water. Kirron's fixation is that she prefers filter water to bottled water. I picked up chicken kathi rolls, chicken burgers... one never knows if there is a traffic jam on the narrow 2 lane roadway to Shillong or we may face a landslide. I like to be well prepared with food and beverages for any calamity...

And like a lady, Kirron picked the tab...an absolute unusual occurrence in tinsel town, where everything is paid by the sponsor. 

We sat in an Innova as the authorities could not arrange for a high end car at such short notice. Kirron gamely sat down with her picnic hamper and asked the driver to get her Lays potato chips. And the specific flavour was tomato salsa.. I had my reservations.. we were travelling through a village as a shortcut to the highway. But at a small roadside shop, actually it's stretching your mind if one calls it a shop, we found the desired flavour. Kirron promptly bought half a dozen of them.

Settled comfortably, the actress dug into her foodie goodies with sheer happiness. Conversation, sandwiches, coke, and a delightful green vista dotted with pineapple cultivation and local people selling their harvest by the roadside,marred only by the construction work, we reached Shillong.

On reaching the city, we were told that she had to attend an

event immediately as some children were waiting to perform for her. Without batting an eyelid, Kirron went to the auditorium which had half a dozen camera crews and some 500 guests in her travel stained clothes, after having woken up at 4 am to take the 7am flight from Mumbai. Without a thought of her saree clad, impeccable image, the lady went about her meeting with such graciousness, that the audience was bowled over.

If I had to vote, I would cast my vote for Kirron Kher. She is sporting and sensitive, fun to be with and yet can take up cudgels for what she believes in. A leader with a heart and a conscience... that's what India needs...