Freishia Bomanbehram, an actor from Mumbai, loved to travel ever since she was a child. “Travel has become an intrinsic part of me. My father is a pilot. Every holiday, as a little girl, I would travel with him.” Freishia is set to host Hangout Amreeka , a travel series on NDTV Good Times, in which she travels to the United States, visiting cities such as New York, Chicago and Seattle. Speaking about the show, Freishia says: “We steer away from touristy landmarks. We hang out with the locals. They tell us which places to visit.”
Freishia’s travel experiences have been varied and unique. “I visited Buddy Guy’s club in Chicago. The jazz bar is soaked in history, right from the photographs that trace Buddy Guy’s story through the years, to the menu, which includes some of his favourite dishes. It was lovely seeing his children working at the club even today taking care of every minute detail. Chatting with his daughter and getting a glimpse into the history of jazz was remarkable!”
Another memorable experience for Freishia was visiting Sylvia’s restaurant in Harlem. “The place is steeped in history. Talking to her grand daughter about Sylvia, her movement and her place in history was a wonderful journey. Hanging out in these places, chatting with these people was a far more enriching experience than just going to any ordinary bar, club or restaurant.”
Freishia’s career as an actor includes acting in theatre productions and films. She has acted in films such as Harry Tries to Marry, Blood Monkey and Curse of King Tut’s Tomb , and plays such as Q Theatre Productions’ Nostalgia Brand Chewing Gum .
Freishia is an emcee too. She has hosted shows for corporate companies. “I just did Indiafest which happened in Goa. Hosting live shows is part of my theatre experience.” She says that transitioning between her many roles as actor, emcee and show host comes naturally to her. “All the roles require the same kind of tenacity. But these roles are about me being me and about projecting this ‘me’ to the world.”
Freishia next speaks about her favourite travel shows. “I like Anthony Bourdain. His show is not just about food. The stories he weaves around his experiences are amazing. I like Heavy Petting too, I love the way they present the show.”
Hangout Amreeka premieres today at 8 pm on NDTV Good Times.