He’s as footloose as they come and life’s been a long journey for Gaurav Jani, one that’s taken him to the heights of Changthang Plateau in Ladakh.
Meet Gaurav Jani, perhaps the only ‘biker-filmaker’ in India
He’s as footloose as they come and life’s been a long journey for Gaurav Jani – one that’s taken him to the icy heights of Changthang Plateau in Ladakh, bordering China.
‘Riding Solo To The Top Of The World’, the film this 31-year-old made along the way – with him being the director, actor, narrator, cameraman and crew all rolled into one – has now won the hearts of critics and audiences alike.
Nominated for the Best International Documentary at the Calgary International Film Festival, the film took home the Golden Conch for Best Documentary and the National Critics Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival and has been invited for the prestigious Himalayan Film Festival.
“It’s a great feeling. I had initially planned a five-biker team on a two-year ride capturing the real experiences of travel, but since no one was ready to finance such an expedition, I decided to go it alone. I had no money, no script and no experience making films – this was my debut effort. But I wanted to do it so badly that I borrowed a camera and took off on my old Enfield,” says Gaurav, who has just released the DVD of the film on his website www.dirttrackproductions.com.
Braving temperatures that dipped to minus 40 degree centigrade and bumming meals from army camps on remote, uninhabited stretches, he even managed to get a first hand insight into the lives of Chang pa nomads.
“I befriended a nomad called Tsewang, one of the few people who spoke broken Hindi. They are unaware and unconcerned about life beyond Changthang,” says Jani.
At Hanle, he learnt about the Chumur monastery which had famously turned back a National Geographic unit despite it having a letter from the Dalai Lama and the Home Ministry. The 7-hour ride to the monastery not only changed the entire complexion of the film, but also turned out to be a near suicide mission.
Currently in the middle of signing a contract with Discovery that gives it telecast rights for the next three years, Gaurav is hoping the funds will probably pay for editing his next documentary. “It’s called ‘One Crazy Ride’ and this time it’s my whole gang of five on an adventure trip to the ‘Abode of clouds’, Arunachal Pradesh,” he smiles.
s_saumit@dnaindia.net
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