Stuck in a plane bathroom on a 15mins flight: Aagha Ali shares his travel horror stories
Actor Aagha Ali has had his fair share of horror stories regarding travelling. The 37-year-old actor, whose first flight was a 15-minute journey from Lahore to Faisalabad, got stuck in the aeroplane bathroom. Ali has been to the wrong security checks, through the bumpy GT road to Gujrat, and has been pushed to the end of the train booths. However, despite all the disappointments, the actor is a true travel enthusiast.
Making a guest appearance at his wife Hina Altaf and Syed Ali’s podcast Footprints, Ali spoke about his first air travel. The actor recalled a scary lavatory experience, “I used to host a show, and they told me that we had to go to Faisalabad for a day. I got so excited to see the airport and be on a plane for the first time. And it was even crazier because we were coming back the same day, which meant two flights in a day.”
While the first 15 minutes were smooth for Ali, he wanted to experience “all” of the aeroplane before getting off. “I decided to see the bathroom on that 15 mins flight back to Lahore. After the take-off, I went to the bathroom. I couldn’t figure out how to open the door, it is complicated for somebody going in the first time. All of my excitement died down. I was banging doors and yelling that I was inside while they were announcing to land,” he revealed. “Luckily, after what seemed like an eternity, someone heard me. I was legit scared that the plane would tilt for landing and I’d be stranded in the bathroom. The air hostess scolded me a lot. I decided I’d never go in a plane ever again,” he laughed.
Ali also shared how nervous he was for his first flight. “I was very nervous. Whoever did travel would always act as if they came from the great beyond, and only those who go can experience it. ‘You’ll see what happens inside, just go, you’ll figure it out’ That’s what everyone says always,” he said.
“When I was going in, there were three women infront of me. I was walking behind them then. At first, I thought I’d tell them it’s my first time and they should guide me, but I just decided to follow. I ended up in the security check for women,” he revealed, sharing how embarrassing it was for him.
Ali shared that he’s a very filmy person in real life. He always wanted his life to play out like a movie and his first train ride was nothing like Shah Rukh Khan’s from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayeinge. “If I tell my train experience in Pakistan to someone who travels in trains in Europe, they would start crying. They would hold me and cry,” he said.
The Mera Bewafa actor did a show where four friends travelled all over Pakistan. While they had flights for each location, Ali wanted a little thrill in his life. “I cancelled my flight and booked Karakoram Express. It was a big train at the time, with AC booths and all. As people advised, I booked a VIP cabin and a bottom bunk,” he started narrating the story.
“I reached the train station. The disappointment started there only because of how unorganised things are. I was early, I took my booth, kept my bag and sat there. I was genuinely looking forward to the next 19 hours. An old man came in with his wife and two daughters. Then two more people came in. It was more crowded than it should have been. If I wasn’t side-lined and my vibe ruined already, they asked me to go to the top bed,” he said.
“The top one is a like a grave. The old man kept manipulating me that ‘how will my daughter or wife go to the top with you on the bottom one’ and ‘You’re young, you can climb easily etc.’ We have a great culture of respecting our elders, but I think they take it for granted here. The uncle could’ve booked a bottom bunk if he had these problems.
Moving to international travels, Ali had it special his first time, unlike his other experiences. After becoming a little star and started earning money, I wanted to travel the whole world. I loved Hollywood movies for the scenic locations they had. But I had promised my mom that id take her to Umrah. So, the first visa I got was for Saudia Arabia. After I came back, I asked her (Hina) to start packing,” he laughed.We’ve since been to Turkey, Dubai, and most of Europe then.
About the feeling he got in an international land, Ali said, “It kind of answers a lot of questions that you have about why they are ahead of us. Why are people so excited to go abroad? There are restaurants here, parties too, and we occasionally dress up. But I loved how organised they are. From little things to big. There’s courtesy and kindness. It just answered why people would willingly go abroad and not live here,” he concluded.
