We definitely know that travel stories are endless. If you see, every part of your journey is a story in itself. Talking about stories from his journey, AllThingsMen had a candid chat with actor and adventurer Vikrant Rai, where he throws some light on how the journey is better than the destination. To read the first part of the story, click here
ATM: What lesser known facts did you get to know through your journeys?
VR: I have always been intrigued by the stories of daring journeys and adventures undertaken by brave individuals in the past. I always thought about living a life like theirs. What I learnt from them is that life’s riches are hidden and are waiting to be explored only by those brave few who dare to embark upon an adventure. And from life riches I don’t only mean money, but the enrichment of the soul & mind. When we travel or when we indulge in adventure, we become much sharper in life. We become more compassionate by understanding life in a broader way. Our decision making abilities improve. We as a couple never knew that in such a short span of time we would be able to explore so many hidden places of this vast Indian subcontinent by embarking upon a motorcycle adventure. I never knew how famous I am as an actor throughout India until I hit the road. It made me realise how fake the world of social media is today & how far they are from the truth & reality.
I understood my country better this way. We as a couple feel much more energetic and positive in life whenever we manage to take out time for ourselves and simply vanish out there somewhere together. We feel this is the best thing we could do with our life. We met so many people, heard so many stories, saw so much yet it feels like it’s not enough.
ATM: Do you think the journey is better than the destination?
VR: Commonly you will see a lot of people during journeys keep asking when will they reach? It’s because they are unable to enjoy the journey. But if you ask an adventurer like me then it can’t be about destinations, it’s always about the journey. In fact we never want to arrive. We just want to keep exploring. New places are like a treat to your eyes. The more you see, the more you explore, the more meaningful your life becomes. So for us it’s always about the journey. In fact Life is not about our arrival or our destination, it’s about what happens in the middle during the journey of life & that’s what makes the story of our life.
ATM : East India is relatively less explored. Why did you choose that region for your bike trip?
VR: The answer to your question is in your question itself. We chose the region as not many had before us. As an adventure couple we are always on the lookout for lesser known places. They make up the perfect ingredients for a retelling of our adventures later. India’s North East Region is filled with challenges, be it their dense forests, dirt roads, weather & terrain. Exploring this part of our country is not everyone’s cup of tea. It will push you to your limits & you will have to push your limits every time to get through. In the process you don’t realise how strong you are becoming. That’s why we chose East India as it offered us the perfect adventure we were seeking as a couple on a motorcycle.
ATM: Was there any moment during the journey where you felt I can’t do this or you were about to give up?
VR: Yes there have been many such moments which were dangerous and life threatening. But I am the type of person for whom giving up is never an option. And I believe we came out of those deadly situations only because of this attitude. Many times we were in the middle of the jungle with no roads, only dirt tracks and the sun had set and it all pitched dark but we kept pushing despite the cold & rain. My wife was equally brave. She knew the gravity of the situation and instead of panicking she kept encouraging me as a pillion. It was great team work that enabled us to pull through many deadly and life threatening situations.
I can’t describe all of them in detail but yes anybody can go to my YouTube channel ‘Bike&Bollywood’. It’s a unique channel which has mixed videos of my films & TV serials and also the stories of our adventures in detail.
