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| Image Credit: Amit Sinha |
Travelogues
have been here for almost 2 millennia, and cross-country bike rides have been
epitomized by none other than Che Guevara himself. Amit Sinha's bike journey
from Kolkata to Leh, however, has been documented in the highest standards of film
production. It is not only a travelogue or a GoPro video of your cross-country
ride, but a visual treat made on a shoestring budget which could put even
NatGeo to shame. One might choose to see the epilogue before she starts the
main series to see and understand the effort he put together to make this
"now possible" trip happen. He learnt basic survival skills like self-repairing
his bike to medicating himself in case of an emergency.
The production quality is next to perfect. This is an unscripted vlog done by one person alone with occasional help from a fellow rider he met during his trip. Even the "Man vs Wild" guy takes a production team along with him! Most of the times Amit is talking to himself or 'the audience' about his experiences. Occasionally he drops a few well shot drone clips of the Ladakh desert. Those shots are treasurable visual treats. The filmmaker has taken a lot of pain to make the journey a watchable movie. He talks about often how he had to come back again through tough terrein to get his camera after taking a third person POV shot using his tripod. His filmmaking skills are commendable.
The traveler is entertaining. He shared his unedited fear and enjoyment with the audience. He cries on camera after reaching the hills when he realizes that he did the undoable; he sings silly songs when he gets bored of straight unending highways; he speaks to locals collecting experiences for himself and his audience. He is strong and determined. The first night inside his self-made camp at an unknown location does bring in a mood of scare. In one episode, he falls down with his leg stuck under the bike. He waits there for more than 20 minutes before a passerby comes for help. The 'scene' reminds of the movie 127 Hours. The unscripted nature of the videos have made sure it captured both his politically incorrect speeches as well as concern for the society. And yes, Ladakh is beautiful, please don’t dump your plastic there if you visit.
The Rider is excited but cautious. Initially during the Kolkata to Delhi ride, he seems chilled out. But once he enters the rough roads of northern Himachal, he starts to lose his composure. Luckily, he gets a fellow rider @astronaut_on_road (Gautam) who becomes his humsafar. They both go off the roads in the desert near Pangong Lake. Very few riders would have done off-roading in that highly volatile warzone. They get lost in nowhere, and somehow navigate their way back. It is also interesting to note that BSNL has been their saver in that remote area. No other profit-making network operated for Ladakh, but BSNL did. Another example why public funded institution should be cared for.
Some voyages are made for heroes. And a hero emerges out of an average person obsessed with a great idea. During his 2500 odd kilometer trip Amit constantly reminds us that he is not a trader of dreams. His leaves are getting exhausted and he has an office to rejoin. In our 9-5 scheduled lifecycle, most of us won’t even dare dreaming of such a solo trip. Maybe that’s why heroes like Amit exist to take us along with them. The experience may be personal, but it has been very caringly shared. I guess we should all thank YouTube too for making this series happen.
The production quality is next to perfect. This is an unscripted vlog done by one person alone with occasional help from a fellow rider he met during his trip. Even the "Man vs Wild" guy takes a production team along with him! Most of the times Amit is talking to himself or 'the audience' about his experiences. Occasionally he drops a few well shot drone clips of the Ladakh desert. Those shots are treasurable visual treats. The filmmaker has taken a lot of pain to make the journey a watchable movie. He talks about often how he had to come back again through tough terrein to get his camera after taking a third person POV shot using his tripod. His filmmaking skills are commendable.
The traveler is entertaining. He shared his unedited fear and enjoyment with the audience. He cries on camera after reaching the hills when he realizes that he did the undoable; he sings silly songs when he gets bored of straight unending highways; he speaks to locals collecting experiences for himself and his audience. He is strong and determined. The first night inside his self-made camp at an unknown location does bring in a mood of scare. In one episode, he falls down with his leg stuck under the bike. He waits there for more than 20 minutes before a passerby comes for help. The 'scene' reminds of the movie 127 Hours. The unscripted nature of the videos have made sure it captured both his politically incorrect speeches as well as concern for the society. And yes, Ladakh is beautiful, please don’t dump your plastic there if you visit.
The Rider is excited but cautious. Initially during the Kolkata to Delhi ride, he seems chilled out. But once he enters the rough roads of northern Himachal, he starts to lose his composure. Luckily, he gets a fellow rider @astronaut_on_road (Gautam) who becomes his humsafar. They both go off the roads in the desert near Pangong Lake. Very few riders would have done off-roading in that highly volatile warzone. They get lost in nowhere, and somehow navigate their way back. It is also interesting to note that BSNL has been their saver in that remote area. No other profit-making network operated for Ladakh, but BSNL did. Another example why public funded institution should be cared for.
Some voyages are made for heroes. And a hero emerges out of an average person obsessed with a great idea. During his 2500 odd kilometer trip Amit constantly reminds us that he is not a trader of dreams. His leaves are getting exhausted and he has an office to rejoin. In our 9-5 scheduled lifecycle, most of us won’t even dare dreaming of such a solo trip. Maybe that’s why heroes like Amit exist to take us along with them. The experience may be personal, but it has been very caringly shared. I guess we should all thank YouTube too for making this series happen.
Watch the whole Youtube series here.