How comedian Anish Bal set out on his first foreign trip without passport

Comedy actor Anish Bal has earned many fans among the Malayalam television audience after being part of a number of popular programmes dealing with humour. In fact, Anish has a special talent for making people laugh. Apart from being an actor, Anish is a successful scriptwriter also and many super hit skits were born out of his imagination.

Anish, who has been busy with his stage shows and TV programmes, is a travel lover too. The celebrity is always excited to discuss the topic of travel and shares his experiences with Onmanorama .

“It is thanks to my profession that I could travel a lot and enjoy the journeys. In fact, I could visit many more countries that I had ever imagined,” he says.

Family trips

However, Anish is somewhat sad that a long trip with family is yet to materialize. “A long journey with my wife and our two children is still a dream. Everything doesn’t fall into place when a trip is planned. The main issue is the children’s health; our younger kid is barely three-and-a-half years old,” says the artist.

A family trip to Dubai is now on the cards. “Let the coronavirus threat subside,” says Anish.

Meanwhile, the celebrity takes his family on short trips to nearby locations such as Vagamon and Cherayi Beach.

Tours abroad

Anish is grateful to his profession for providing him several opportunities to travel abroad. “In many ways, I am lucky. As an artist, I could travel to several countries to take part in events. After each programme, I spend time visiting the places of interest in the area,” he says.

Anish has been to all the nations in the Gulf region and UK, among other countries. He found the desert safari in Qatar interesting and was thrilled to be in Dubai. “The tall skyscrapers and Burj Khalifa standing tall among them in Dubai is a sight to behold. Moreover, the Palm Islands and shopping malls make Dubai city an exciting place. These are the reasons behind my wish to take my family to Dubai,” according to the actor.

A memorable incident

As a regular traveller, the comedian has a long list of interesting incidents to relate but some need special mention as they have a comic side. “Earlier, I used to perform for a troupe based in Kollam along with Ullas Pandalam and we travelled every day to Ernakulam by a passenger train that started very early in the morning. Those who have boarded a train from Kollam railway station would know that when the train to Ernakulam starts moving, it would be initially travelling in the direction of Thiruvananthapuram. Similarly, a train towards Thiruvananthapuram would start moving in the direction of Ernakulam. Many travellers would be confused over this and we too were fooled,” explains Anish.

One day, as soon as the train started moving, a passenger shouted that it was heading to Thiruvananthapuram and not Ernakulam. “Immediately, I jumped out along with some others. But when Ullas reached the door of the bogie with his bags, the train had picked up speed. Anyway, Ullas jumped out and fell flat on the platform. While lying on the platform, he shouted at a passing ticket checker whether the train was indeed heading to Thiruvananthapuram. But when he received the reply that the train was the Kollam-Ernakulam passenger, our troupe realized that we all were fooled,” says Anish.

Passport - a lesson

Another blunder that could have landed Anish in serious trouble occurred at Mavelikkara railway station. “I was setting out on my first foreign trip. It was for a programme in the Gulf and I was travelling with a friend. We had booked flight tickets from the Kochi airport and planned to travel from my native place Mavelikkara to Kochi by train. All preparations for the journey had started days earlier and finally, we reached Mavelikkara railway station and waited for the train. Then, I received a call from home and there were the usual enquiries regarding whether we had not forgotten anything. I confidently replied that everything was packed. However, a minute later, I realized that I had not taken the passport! Immediately, I called home and my relatives rushed to the railway station with the all-important document,” recalls the actor.

After that incident, the first item that Anish packs before a foreign trip is his passport.

Future plans

Anish has several dream destinations lined up. “I love travelling and am keen to visit new locations. One such place is the US. So far, I haven’t been able to take part in a programme there. With the threat of the pandemic persisting, all trips are on hold. However, everything would hopefully be back to normal soon,” quips the comedian with optimism.