When I began my world tour for Sancharam way back in 1997, the aim was at making a programme with a difference in the field of visual media. I had directed telefilms and documentaries earlier for various television channels. However, in those days what I had in mind was a television programme that none else had ever attempted in Malayalam.

         There was a time when people of Kerala used to read the travelogues of S.K. Pottakkadu and other writers avidly. Nevertheless, in this new era, people may be interested in viewing places rather than knowing them from books. The technology provides the people of Kerala with an opportunity to see places for themselves thus bringing the whole world into their drawing rooms. This is the first visual travelogue in Malayalam.

 2.    Which country was your first travel destination? What were your experiences there?

        My first solo journey with a camera was to the neighbouring country, Nepal. I boarded the train at Kochi and reached Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. From there I reached Nepal crossing the border. From the border town I took a bus and reached Pokhara, a tourist spot in Nepal. From there I travelled to Kathmandu in a small plane. Though I had all the anxieties of a maiden journey the Nepal tour was thrilling. From Pokhara I travelled in the cockpit of the plane, rubbing shoulders with the pilots. When they came to know that my objective was shooting the sights for a television programme, the pilot Mr. Rathan Lama offered me a seat in there.

         There was no strangeness in my journey in Kathmandu. It was similar to a journey through any of the North Indian cities.

 3.    Does any language problem arise in a new place?

         I used to worry about this in the early days of my travel. Now, in the light of my travelling experience in fifty countries I can assert with conviction that language is no barrier to world travel. With a little knowledge to communicate in English, there is no difficulty in obtaining information in any city in any country. At same time, it is not necessary that people should understand English wherever you go. I had seen many people in many parts of China, Japan and Korea who did not have the least knowledge of English language.

         There were instances of conveying messages to the cab drivers through sign languages and sketches in many cities. All these are funny experiences of my journey.

 4.    How many camera crews do accompany you, when you travel abroad?

         This is a question raised by many. In fact, I travel alone to the foreign countries and shoot the sights myself. I travelled in all these fifty countries all by myself. It will be the same in future too. I never carry too many shooting gadgets. I just take a good video camera along.

 5.    Among the countries you travelled, which one did you like the most?

         Each country has its own specialities. In some countries we are attracted by its natural beauty. In some other places the modern transportation facilities make the journey memorable. Whereas in some places it may be the historical sights that enchant us. My journey into each country has lent me distinct and marvellous experiences and it is difficult to name just one country for that matter.

 6.    As regards the palatal tastes each country differs from the other. Can you say some thing about any one cuisine that you had found very special?

         Each country has distinct tastes regarding food. However, in all these countries you can see restaurants that offer Indian and Chinese cuisines. While talking about unique food items what strikes me first are Taiwan and Cambodia. There is a market in Taipei in Taiwan - Huanshi Market. Snake is the main food item we get there. We can see people devouring fried snake meat and milk shakes with snake’s blood and so on.

         In Phnom Penh in Cambodia, there are people who eat cockroaches and beatles. The fried spiders, small flies, beatles, cockroaches, etc. kept for sales and people buying them and eating away are in fact sights in themselves, Things that are detested in one country may be tasty food for another one. There are several other gourmet facts that I had come across during my journey.