Years before YouTube vlogs and Instagram reels defined travel content, Deepti Bhatnagar had already built a legacy as one of India’s first global travel storytellers. In the early 2000s, Deepti, along with her husband Randeep Arya — son of Punjabi actor Veerendra and cousin of Dharmendra — launched Deepti Bhatnagar Production Pvt. Ltd., setting the stage for one of India’s earliest international travel shows.
Their flagship series Musaafir Hoon Yaaron became a pioneering format, exploring nearly 90 countries across 170 episodes over eight years. From Paris and Rome to Dubai and London, the show brought global destinations into Indian living rooms at a time when international travel content was rare.
Deepti served not just as the host but as the core identity of the show, blending cultural insights, local experiences, and her signature warm narration. The show’s immersive storytelling set a new benchmark for travel programming in India.
She also broke norms by travelling with her family while working. Both her sons journeyed with her across continents, and Deepti has openly shared how she experienced motherhood on the go. “I travelled the world with my family and gave birth to both my children while hosting Musaafir Hoon Yaaron. Exploring the world with them is my biggest blessing,” she reflected.
Born in Uttar Pradesh, Deepti’s journey into entertainment was unexpected. She initially ran a handicrafts business after moving to Mumbai but soon entered the Miss India pageant, winning the title at 18. This opened doors to major advertising assignments and film roles. She later appeared in films like Ram Shastra (1995), Pelli Sandadi (1996), Dharma Chakkaram (1997), and the Hollywood thriller Inferno (1997).
Today, Deepti Bhatnagar continues her storytelling journey as a travel YouTuber and digital creator. While social media influencers dominate today’s travel space, her work remains a reminder that she was doing it long before the era of likes, reels, and subscribers
