Movies and shows have a way of turning fictional worlds into real-life destinations. From Rancho-inspired cafés in Leh after 3 Idiots (2009) to fans seeking out Friends’ iconic Central Perk, screen locations often become tourist attractions in their own right.

Now, fans of Netflix’s Musafir Cafe can step into the world of the show as Vikrant Massey, who plays Chander, has begun work on two real-life Musafir Cafés — one in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and another in Uttarakhand — with his wife, Sheetal Thakur.

A source close to the development said the cafés are being designed along the lines of the one featured in the series. “Work has already begun on it. The idea is to recreate the café seen in the show, along with spaces where artists can stay and work. Around 20 rooms are being designed as residencies for artists,” said the source.

Massey said the idea took shape after the “euphoric response we got for the show”. While fans initially suggested that he open a Musafir Café in the hills, the actor was aware that “as fan service, several Musafir Cafés were already built after Divya Prakash Dubey’s book Musafir Café, [from which the series has been adapted], hit the shelf a decade ago”.

“I was chatting with Divya, Sharanya Rajgopal [show creator], and Vijay Subramaniam [founder of Collective Artistes Network] about how it would be a great idea to recreate the on-screen experience of the show in real life,” explained the actor.

The cafés will offer food, coffee, books, and spaces for visitors to unwind amid nature. Massey hopes they will give people a chance to escape the “hustle and bustle and chaos of the city” and work on projects. He plans to launch the cafés by “summer next year”. 

- Central Perk Coffeehouse in Boston (American sitcom ‘Friends’)

- Twede’s Café in North Bend, Washington (‘Twin Peaks’, 1990)

- Polka Café in Anantnag, Kashmir (Vijay’s ‘Leo’, 2023)

- SH Khan Restaurant on Leh’s Mall Road (‘Dhurandhar’, 2025)

Vikrant Massey and Sheetal Thakur’s love story had the perfect culmination as the two tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Bilaspur, last month. A dreamy honeymoon would have been the ideal follow-up. But the actor had to trade honeymoon in an exotic country for long working hours at Rajkot instead. Within days of the nuptials, Massey headed to Gujarat to shoot for Pavan Kirpalani’s Gaslight. 

So, it’s not surprising that he begins the chat with: “My wife is upset.” Currently filming with Sara Ali Khan and Chitrangda Singh, Massey hopes to make it up to his wife soon. “Ideally, we would have liked to take a month off, but there are certain commitments that you have to fulfil. It’s a balancing act. I spent four days at home after the wedding. After that, I have been shooting. I will make it up to Sheetal. She has been supportive, but there are moments when she complains like any wife would.”

The actor was keen to work with Pavan Kirpalani for long. Things fell in place only with the upcoming thriller. “We were to collaborate on Bhoot Police [2021]. However, things kept going back and forth, and I had to drop out of the film eventually. I am glad this has finally happened,” he says, adding that co-star Khan is “a vibrant energy on the set.”

He kicked off 2022 with Love Hostel that tackled the rampant honour killings in our country by telling the love story of Massey’s Ashu and Sanya Malhotra’s Jyoti. Despite its brave theme, the film received mixed response. “A lot of people have bashed the film. But that’s the beauty of films — there are so many interpretations. Criticism doesn’t bother me because I see them as different perspectives. I neither disregard nor take any of them seriously. Everyone has the right to voice their opinion.”

The actor adds that filming the ZEE5 drama took a toll on him. “I was so disturbed that I wanted to take therapy throughout the filming. The timing of the film also held significance. The subject is relevant in the times that we are living in.”