Koena Mitra's suprise birthday gift: Trip to Vegas

Having stayed in the US of for quite some time to pursue a career in Hollywood, actress Koena Mitra had one wish — to visit Las Vegas before she came back. And her wish came true, when the unit of her film decided to throw her a surprise on her birthday.

“They just told me to pack my bags and whisked me away to Las Vegas. It was my best birthday ever,” says Koena who was clueless till the time she was a few miles away from the actual destination. “We left at about 4 am and it was a wonderful drive. But there is a stretch between Los Angeles, from where we left, and LV that is deserted and considered haunted,” says Koena. But not one to be deterred, she managed to coax her team to stop by for some time. “They didn’t want to halt but I convinced them. I wanted to soak in some silence. It was weird, I admit that, but it was an experience of a lifetime. Plus I can’t resist a good thrill,” says Koena with a naughty glint in her eye.

Haunting thrills apart, Koena says that she was mesmerized by the variety that LV has to offer to a tourist. “Vegas is full of hotels done up in special themes and some of them are dedicated to countries! There were hotels that were inspired by New York, Egypt and the like and trust me — when you step foot into such a hotel you actually feel like you’ve visited the country in question,” says Koena wide-eyed. The Egypt hotel, she recalls had walls with life size posters of mummified bodies for effect.

So, what did she like the most about Vegas? “They say that Mumbai is a city that never sleeps but Vegas is one place where the sun never sets! The city is buzzing with activities all day and night. It’s just amazing,” she says.

Ask her if she tried her luck at the roulette tables in the famed casinos of Vegas and Koena says that the concept of gambling is beyond her understanding. “I don’t know why people gamble but I don’t get the thrill in losing money so I’ve always preferred to stay away from gambling,” says Koena adding that she spent her time exploring the night life there instead. “I went club hopping with my pals. The clubs there too operate under different themes. I went to one where I was amazed to see very beautiful drag queens perform for the audience. Plus I forgot my diet and ate to my hearts content — sampling food from world cuisines,” says Koena who still misses her three days of thorough fun in Vegas.