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Gentlemen in Air India’s business-class always wore a jacket, while ladies carried vanity cases. You do not see those vanity cases anymore. Rahul Khanna
Photo: Paul Gregory
nature-oriented. But that’s also because my work requires me to be so.” Khanna is no easy traveller. He plans his journeys out to the last detail and admits he is controlling in that respect. “While I do have someone who plans my travel, I end up doing it myself. I know exactly which seat, on which aircraft, on which airline. And if I don’t get that seat, I actually have second, third and fourth options.” That said, is Rahul Khanna an aisle-seat guy or a window-seat guy? “Window, of course!” he chuckles. Once he’s at a destination, Khanna prefers to stay at off-the-radar hotels, places that people don’t really know about - “hidden gems that don’t advertise”, as he puts it.
Fashion Speak Khanna was chosen as a partner of the American brand Nautica as part of its international repositioning initiative. “The repositioned Nautica collection is all about going from a sporty atmosphere to a more urban one. A lot of times, you’re on the beach in a pair of shorts and there’s that slight nip in the air. It is nice to have something light to throw on,” he says.
fellow passengers whose style influenced him greatly. “I remember travelling next to Feroz Khan on a flight to Dubai once. He was impeccably dressed in a blazer, a scarf, monogrammed shoes and matching luggage. Then I once travelled next to Tom Ford. I saw the way he was dressed and groomed, and I thought to myself that it is such a respectful thing to do for your fellow passengers. It is a nice way of travelling. Flying is one of the most public things you can do and it’s nice to be well presented.” If you ever spot the dapper actor at an international airport, you will see him in his “flight staples” - a pair of dark jeans, a tailored shirt and a lightweight jacket. While on the subject of travel, the actor, who joined the ranks of Indian actors bridging the Hollywood gap with his much-lauded appearance in the show The Americans, admits that he is passionate about discovering new, offbeat destinations. “I am more
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Is he partial to the opulent luxury of a big-city hotel or the understated barefoot luxury at an offbeat address? “I do love slick and modern hotels with amenities and technology. But to me, luxury could also mean complete isolation. Access to nature is a huge luxury. While on the subject of modern city hotels, I love using technology. I was at the Four Seasons New York recently and their new mobile app is amazing. I used it for everything, even to order room service. In a city, I love to walk, to just get lost in the streets. That’s a great way to discover restaurants and museums. I rely on locals to guide me as well,” he says. Among his most interesting recent projects was one that took him to Dufftown in Scotland, the home of the legendary single malt Glenfiddich, to host a TV show, The Mavericks. “I had never been to Scotland before, so it was a superb experience. I must confess that I was learning about whisky on this trip. I loved how they’d kept their whisky heritage alive and raised it to an art form. And, of course, the culture around the Scottish highlands is incredible,” he says.