Bollywood actor and motorcycle enthusiast Amit Sadh has said that road trips help him stay grounded, and that his latest adventure from Mumbai to Leh is his way of connecting with people. The actor, known for movies such as Kai Po Che, Sultan, and the web series Breathe, plans to cover 7,000km during his month-long journey.
“My personal philosophy is that I try to stay grounded and biking is one of the steps… It keeps you on the ground, it keeps you strong,” the actor told the Press Trust of India during an interview in Delhi.
Sadh said that while he loved biking, the journey could be full of challenges and self-doubt. “On the first day, after biking for 8-9 hours, I asked myself, ‘Why am I doing this when I could’ve stayed home and enjoyed tea on my terrace?’ And just then, I spotted a canal on my way.
“There was a gentle breeze, and a drizzle… I met a truck driver and I got to know about his life. Suddenly, I smiled and said to myself, ‘I know the reason and the importance of this bike ride.’ [It’s] to stay grounded and to follow your passion,” he recalled.
It took five days for the actor to ride from Mumbai to Delhi, where he was to stay briefly before embarking on the journey ahead.
The Bollywood star said that he inherited the love for motorcycling from his father Ram Chandra Dogra, who was a professional hockey player. “I think you inherit some things. I got the love for biking from my father. I am just continuing his legacy. India as a country is growing and even in the biking community, boys, girls, young and old, everyone is biking,” he said.
“The [motorcycling] community is growing, the solidarity is growing. I feel fortunate that I can bike in India and I can travel and share that journey with the media and people. I just feel very privileged that I can have that bond, that connect with India,” he added.
The actor said that he would randomly take a Delhi-Mumbai trip on a bike during his days of struggle in Bollywood and moments of frustration. There were other trips, too, but there was a gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have travelled between Mumbai-Delhi a lot. I’ve also travelled from Punjab to Jammu & Kashmir to Leh to Nubra Valley to Pangong [lake] and then back to Chandigarh,” he said. “It has been 3-4 years [since then]. This time, I wanted to do the whole circuit. So from Delhi to Chandigarh to Sangla-Spiti Valley-Kargil to Leh.”
When his team suggested that he should share his adventure with his fans and the media, Sadh liked the idea. “I generally keep my personal life a secret. I’m connected with my fans and audiences through social media, but there are moments which I like to keep private. [But] we are filming this trip,” he said.
It can be tiring to “be filmed on the bike” while also managing a crew. Sadh said, “I’m cautious about rules and regulations. I have to take care of the crew. This is the first phase of the ride. The second phase starts from Chandigarh.
“We have more plans… We have Vijay Parmar, who is also one of the founders of the motorsport rally Raid-de-Himalaya. He and his son are the best people to curate my second leg, from Chandigarh.”