Actor and avid traveller Amit Sadh embarked on a journey of self-discovery in his recent series Motorcycle Saved My Life. In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer for our Travelogue segment, the actor takes us through his travel voyage and some contretemps on his trip.
Shraddha Neware
Embarking on a journey of self-discovery on his motorcycle and making sure to heal the environment along the way, actor Amit Sadh takes The Pioneer exclusively through the highs and lows of his travels.
In his recent series, Motorcycle Saved My Life, the environmentally conscious actor documents his journey from Mumbai to Leh on his beloved mode of transport, a motorcycle!
He has been riding for years now, but most of that experience has been a private part of his life. Combining his love for riding and nature, the determined actor shares, “My team urged me, suggesting I share my adventure, my love for nature, country, travel and motorcycling with people. This series is my first step.”
Hinting that this is most likely an ongoing project, and that this was just the beginning, he added, “We just went and we kind of tried our hands with documenting the experience.”
He began riding when he was quite little and claims that riding fosters discipline and a sense of community. He talks to us about how he discovered a big shift in himself after years of living this way saying, “During my early years, I think I used to ride because I used to be angry. Riding made me realise that I wasn’t furious anymore and that I was having fun.”
India, he says, has so much biodiversity that the flora and fauna change every 50 miles. Being brought up in a household that prioritises environmental wellbeing and preaches keeping your surroundings clean from a young age, the empathetic actor has kept his learnings alive throughout his travels.
While travelling to mountains and villages, he recalls meeting locals whose simplicity touched him the most. “They are conscious of the ecosystem and respectful of nature. I think that’s one quality we all can bring to the big cities,” said the Kai Po Che fame. He advocates being the custodians of the earth and India, urging people to take care of their surroundings.
Travelling to some of the highest parts of Leh, he also described the hardships endured by them as they also had to film their journey. Feeling proud of his team, the Sultan fame said, “We filmed at around 17,000 to 19,000 feet, where there is a lack of oxygen and the air is thin. Gasping for breath and not acclimating well, it was not easy capturing a shot of a moving bike. There was a lot of physicality on the line, and everyone from my team chipped in.” Braving the rough conditions, he wanted the filming to be raw and not use AI or CGI for the outcome. He wanted to emphasise the truth and showcase their real ordeal.
Talking about ordeals, the adventurous actor shared behind-the-scenes details about his harrowing experience. “I was coming from a village called Kibber, at 16,000 feet. It wasn’t dark yet, but the sun had set. I was in my lane, and an Army vehicle hit me! Luckily, 3 seconds before the hit, I had an intuition that I was going to be hit. I did what I could in those 3 seconds, my reflexes kicking in. The hit wasn’t direct, but on the side. I suffered some bruises, but my gear and my discipline saved my life.”
He explained that a hit like this will affect your psyche and your confidence, and you have to debrief yourself again and again to ride. He further added, “It’s an emphasis on riding with discipline, with complete gear and not showing bravado when you are on a motorcycling adventure. Your bravado can cost your life.”
Wishing to be as real as possible, a humourous actor generally wanted this to be added to his series but promised to not hold back on the upcoming projects.
Environmental concern plays an important role in his life, as he navigates his travelling experience in India and advocates healing our surroundings. “I feel that we have to heighten our awareness. We have to first educate ourselves on how we can make the environment cleaner and better. I am learning to enhance my understanding. Because before you do something, you have to learn. You have to understand where we can get better. I hope this sense of ownership and responsibility comes to all of us,” said the Bigg Boss fame. He added, “In any travel, journey, cycling, adventure, or hobby, the first step is self-understanding, self-correction, or self-realisation.”
His journey from Bombay to Leh captures the diversity of Indian culture, language, food, and biodiversity. Well, as we head towards this chat, he says he wants to put his experience on the camera, real and true!
