Mysore:
While I've been raving about being on the road, there are certain things that have to be said. If I could be a roving citizen of India with a roaming vote, here is what I want.
I want clean toilets across the country. I now know why my friends abroad are more adventurous; taking off for months with some clothes and some money because they want to find themselves. It's because they know they don't have to find clean toilets, they can take them for granted.
I've been travelling for shoots for the last 10 years so dirty public toilets is no revelation for me. But, I have never experienced them in such frequency.
The smell of these toilets first draws us and then so many times, they are locked. Desperately, Naghma and I were going to go in the fields but looking conspicuously different, we were followed by people constantly. So, it's always an undesirable aspect of our adventure.
I've read that toilets have become an issue in many villages. Families have refused to marry their daughters into homes without toilets. Maybe, we need to arm-twist politicians a bit more. Of course, that's if they don't all think like BJP's Vijay Goel. Goel was once asked why there are no public toilets in Delhi's Chandni Chowk. He said it's because women should have more control over their bladders and men can go anywhere!
I am a woman and I will not display superhuman control over my bladder. I demand from my MP clean toilets everywhere. Till it is delivered, don't follow me into fields.