Smooth roads, shorter travel time: Anupam Kher is impressed by Shirdi-Nagpur Samruddhi highway trip, but misses one of his favourite things

Anupam Kher’s light-hearted social media entries never fail to make our day. The film veteran frequently shares delightful updates about his everyday life, be it a sweet encounter with a stranger or a wonderful trip and even inspirational fitness advice that resonates with his sea of fans. This time was no exception. On Monday, Anupam Kher dropped a video on his X-handle where he shared his ‘amazing experience’ of a road trip on the popular Shirdi-Nagpur highway in Mumbai, also known as the Samruddhi Mahamarg.

Anupam Kher lauds Shirdi-Nagpur Samruddhi highway trip

The clip opened to Anupam Kher recording the long stretch of road from his car, featuring safety barriers along the sidelines and verdant green hills in the distance. The veteran actor revealed that he was travelling from Shirdi to Nagpur via the Samruddhi Mahamarg, officially called the Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg. He was taken aback by the seamless travel experience and remarkable infrastructure on display.


As per Anupam Kher, the road was smooth, making the journey both comfortable and efficient. The actor noted that the ease of travel and the significant amount of time saved during the trip made him feel as though distances across India were shrinking while new possibilities were opening up. Reflecting on the experience, he remarked that progress does not always arrive with grand announcements or fanfare. Instead, it is often felt in quieter moments—through a hassle-free drive, reaching a destination on time and recognising the positive changes unfolding around us.

More about Shirdi-Nagpur Samruddhi highway

Anupam Kher admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed the journey, describing it as an experience that left him feeling hopeful, proud and excited about the future. Concluding his thoughts on a positive note, the actor said that India was changing, and witnessing that transformation firsthand is truly wonderful. However, he had only one complaint: the lack of dhabas, street-side stalls and food outlets along the highway.

For the unversed, the Samruddhi Mahamarg is a 701-kilometre expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. The 6-lane highway has significantly reduced travel time between the two cities. According to Anupam Kher’s driver, Dattatrey, a journey that once took nearly 12 hours can now be completed in just about 6 hours, thanks to the expressway.

Back in January this year, a report by Loksatta.com stated that the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is set to operationalise 22 food plazas over the next 3 months. 8 of them, functioning on both sides at Vargadi and Maral, along with a single side at Mandwa, Waifal, Manakpur and Amne, are already operational.

Coming to Anupam Kher, the actor was last seen in Tanvi The Great. The film, directed by the actor himself, also starred Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swamy, Boman Irani, Pallavi Joshi, Naseeruddin Shah, Karan Tacker and Iain Glen in important roles.