'You have to be creative to escape reality'

Meet the 22-year-old founder of Dubai's largest escape room experience

You're locked in a room and it's, metaphorically, a do-or-die situation. All around you are bizarre pieces of equipment - but they aren't quite as random as you think. In fact, you have 60 minutes to figure out how they fit together, crack various riddles and get yourself out of there. Are you sold on the idea of escape games yet? Well, when Bhakti Khubchandani tried one in 2015, she was. So much so that she decided to set up her very own escape room.
Two years later, her dreams are becoming a reality. Although based in Dubai, she launched her brainchild, Escape Reality, with the support of her family, in
London first because she 'saw an opportunity'. The response was overwhelming and it wasn't long before they opened more branches within the UK. This week saw the launch of Escape Reality's first Dubai branch. Next month, they are looking at opening branches in the US.
Did she ever think she would be expanding her very own business at the age of 22? "Definitely not," laughs Bhakti. "I've always known that I wanted to give back in some way and contribute to other people's growth. This is my way of doing that. I'm also a total movie buff. So, the venture combines all my interests."
The eight rooms in Escape Reality are all themed according to TV shows like Game of Thrones, and movies like Ex Machina and Jumanji. Bhakti also sat in with a team of architects, movie lovers and gamers to mull over plot lines and puzzles.
"The biggest lesson I've learnt is that you don't have to always stick to your initial plan - because there are other elements that will come into play and you will have to tackle them. But they will lead you to opportunities - ones that will take you to far greater heights than what you may have initially planned. I never thought I would be where I am today, but when you're passionate about what you're doing - and plan extensively - the universe will pretty much align in your favour. You're never too young. In fact, there is no right age."
With Escape Reality continuing to expand, Bhakti has her dream job. But her favourite part is seeing people leave the rooms excited and proud of their accomplishments or having learnt a new skill. "When you're in that room, you're all working towards the same goal. It doesn't matter if you're there with your friends, your colleagues or your boss! When people come out, they are stronger together. Because when you're in that room, you discover qualities about yourself that you never knew you had. You have to think on your feet. You have to be creative if you want to escape reality."
janice@khaleejtimes.com
3 things you learn from escape games

Concentration
Many live escape games around the world, including Escape Reality, are linear, meaning that players cannot progress until they have solved each puzzle in a certain order. This means players will have to devote their full concentration to solving the complex puzzles.
Creative thinking
Everything that teams see will become a possible solution or part of a complex puzzle. Players will always be on the lookout to see if they can recognise any patterns or find things that they believe they may need at a later point in the game.
Teamwork
Different dynamics of individuals come to the forefront in escape rooms. The very premise of the situation exposes potentially concealed characteristics as individuals are in a situation where they cannot hide. It exposes both the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and how they can combine their skills to make an effective team.