Hit the Road: India

I'll be honest about how I came to this film – not how I came to hear about it but rather my attitude towards it coming in the door. Looking at the title and plot summary, I was ready to really hate the film. Ironically considering I travel a reasonable amount, I really do not care for those people who deliberately put themselves through hardships for the sake of "experience", nor backpackers who make a song and dance out of not changing clothes for two months and look down their nose at anyone they come across in a city who did not get there by hitchhiking or crawling through mud. To me it is snobbery and I am always surprised on travel forum how so many conversations quickly turn into the equivalent of the famous Yorkshiremen sketch where the next person dismisses the previous travel story as "luxury" and then undercuts it with more hardship.

Anyway, I digress, but suffice to say that the story of two Americans living rough for two weeks in some form of basic race across India really had me on edge ready to dislike the whole thing. And for sure there are aspects I did dislike but generally what I found was a breezy travelogue film where we have a well chosen soundtrack playing over some well filmed and well edited footage. India is not somewhere I have ever really wanted to be, mainly because of the intensity and chaos you hear about, but on the basis of this film it does appeal to me for the sake of experiencing it – albeit I would do so in a more controlled and planned way. To those who have been to India and had these sorts of experiences, I guess the film will really help the memories rush back and be enjoyed on that level. But even for those that don't, it is a nice looking travelogue.

The problems come if you want more than that. I have no idea how the film was made but it feels like the planning was to follow these guys and then all efforts were taken up with getting good shots during each day; I think the filming of the trip must have been as grueling as the trip itself and a result it does feel like the makers were not able to step away from the experience and decide what they were trying to achieve with the film beyond just cool footage and soundtracks. I wanted to know a bit more about pretty much everything – who are the people doing this trip and why are they doing it? Is it really a race or just an adventure package holiday? What are the good and bad things about the places they go? And most of all – instead of telling me about things, why not let me see them? So we hear lots about things that happened after they occurred, and we see the aftermath of going off the road but we rarely see these events despite near-constant filming across the whole trip. I have no idea why these things are described and not seen.

I am not sure why we follow the two American guys and nobody else; given the frequent news stories and impressions we get via the media of India, it would have potentially been much more interesting to follow the all female team and see their experiences. Richard I liked though – he is a nice guy with a positive outlook and a good presence for the camera. Keith though, I really struggled not to dislike. He is very quick to complain about standards of bedding and food (which makes you wonder where he thought he was going when he decided to do this), he quickly takes his "experience" and makes it as normal as possible with his wifi music system etc (some of the other contestants don't seem to have much time for him) and I really disliked how frequently he mimicked the head movements of others – although the film makes everyone do it at the end, which just felt disrespectful. That said, the two men are good enough company of this series of events.

And it is really just a trip and series of events, most of which we hear about rather than see. The film is very well put together and filmed but I really wish there had been an agenda behind it to try and give the viewer more structure, information or insight – as it is without any of this it is just a fun travelogue – which is a shame because it is well- enough made to have been more than just this.

Hit the Road: India documents "The Mumbai Xpress," an annual event held in India where, over the course of twelve days, people from all different countries embark on the journey from Mumbai to Chennai, a 2000-kilometer voyage tackled in rickshaws (or "tuk-tuks"), a famous method of transportation in India. The brothers Baghdasaryan - Gor and Mushegh - choose to focus on Richard Gazarian and Keith King, an amiable pair of men who battle all sorts of hell and highwater trying to get to the destination of Chennai. From complications with the Indian police force, through horrid weather that limits visibility, and quite possibly the worst, most unreliable rickshaw in the history of the vehicle's manufacturing, the two friends try and push through so they can achieve the gratitude of finishing a mentally-taxing race.

Throughout the documentary, both Ric and Keith bring up how hard the race is to articulate to people back in the states because of the fact that Americans' knowledge of India is greatly limited and the idea of racing in another country isn't really understandable to many people who haven't been there in the first place. This documentary already serves its purpose just by stating this fact. Documentaries' purposes are to detail something the masses may or may not have a clear idea about, be it a political/social issue, a person, or, in this case, an event. Hit the Road: India, despite depicting its subjects' frustrations and annoyances while traveling in one of the most colorful and beautiful countries in the world, is a strong, contemporary look at Indian culture from a fly-on-the-wall perspective. In addition, the film is absolutely beautiful in its unrefined naturalism, almost making India a gorgeous, green-land we haven't fully discovered yet.

Its character-personalities are effortlessly engaging, always maintaining high-spirits despite clear frustrations. While the film's focus is intimately confined to these two men, it would've been nice to get a perspective from the other participants prior to the race to see what their motivations to racing were, along with the history of some of the places the two visit. In addition, there also could've been a stronger emphasis on Indian culture, talking with locals and examining certain cuisines.

However, those aren't necessarily flaws or issues. They're simply other focuses Hit the Road: India could've taken but didn't. The aforementioned would've turned a personal adventure into a cultural examination fit for a special on the Travel Channel (not to mention, this is kind of a race). Instead, the film becomes a personal piece - a travelogue of sorts, showcasing the beautiful landscape of a country that continues to fascinate, captivate, and mystify in all of its beauty. We are welcomed to see the enticing visuals of several different Indian locations and are allowed to watch them operate in a unique and naturalistic way. We don't invade, we simply observe.

The film reminds me of Around the Country: The Movie, a film made by the popular Youtube duo of Shawn C. Phillips and M.J. Kelley, who ventured from Baltimore, Maryland all the way to San Diego, California. While the adventure was because of Phillips moving there and it wasn't a race, the film was a personal journey for both parties who, like it or not, were stuck together for a long period of time. This kind of experience is rare and maybe necessary in order to test a friendship and show what you, yourself, are personally capable of.

Hit the Road: India is a bit slight but it provides for a pleasant look at a beautiful country. In the end, we come to the realization why the two men did what they did and how they're rewarded for it, physically and mentally. The film is a good time capsule but the event and pride taken away from it are a monumental achievement for two very kind-hearted souls.

Staring: Richard Gazarian and Keith King. Directed by: Gor Baghdasaryan and Mushegh Baghdasaryan.

I visited India last year and was more than happy to watch Gor Bahgdasayran's documentary involving a race across India featuring a bunch of contestants riding auto-rickshaws . Now I should from the outset put my cards on the table and state I'm not a fan of India and there's so much wrong with their culture . Everyone rightly criticises the misygonistic mind set of Muslim culture but Hindus aren't much better . Add to this the obscenity of the Caste system and arranged marriages and the only positive to come out of a Westerner returning from India is that it makes them apprieciate living in a secular democracy where the indivual is master of their destiny . On top of that bad news involving illness of a close family member effectively killed my trip and constantly found myself wishing I was back work surrounded by absolutely stunning female colleagues whose personalities were so life affirming they could reanimate the dead . It's a lonely hobby backpacking and the only real pleasure I got was listening to Dry The Rain by The Beta Band on my I-pod that reminded me of happier times

Dry The Rain would be the perfect soundtrack for Gor's documentary as Keith and Ric attempt to drive their rickshaw from Mumbai in the West coast of India to Chennai in the East via The Mumbai Express Rally as both men endure the race during the Monsoon season . A complaint about HIT THE ROAD is " poor cinematography " but to be honest if you had Roger Deakins as a cinematographer it wouldn't have made much difference because Monsoon rain is like nothing a Westerner has experienced . It's a brutal assault by H20 that limits visibility and lasts for hours . Even the dull dark grey skies that threaten rain have a depressing quality which is vividly captured in this documentary . What Gor has also managed to accurately capture is the chaotic hustle and bustle of a developing super power which in some ways is a bustling metropolis in one way and an under developed 19th Century third world nation where infrastructure is concerned . It goes without saying that being North Americans it doesn't take long for Keith and Ric to whine about the state and width of the narrow roads

Where the Documentary fails to a certain extent is that the audience aren't shown enough of the real India . As I said my own experiences of the sub continent aren't exactly complimentary and we're merely treated to a tourist eye view of the country . Ric and Keith visit a school but we don't really find out about the educational experiences of these children . What is life like for the average Indian child in a country that has a rigid social structure beset by religion ? We never find out and somewhat obviously though understandably the documentary concentrates on Ric and Keith . I wasn't all that keen on the soundtrack either . Did I mention Dry The Rain by The Beta Band is the perfect soundtrack for the Monsoon ?

All in all this is a fair tourist eye view of India . If you're mulling in your head as to what India may be like this won't put you off the country and does a fairly good job illustrating what the country is like on the surface . I would have preferred a bit more on the downside of the country . Perhaps if the rally followed the experiences of the female members this might have showed the manifest flaws of Indian culture ?

I found out about this independent adventure documentary from one of its creators and started with watching the 3 minute long trailer which instantly grabbed my attention. Tight, dynamic, even suspenseful thanks to well-chosen soundtrack, the trailer was a great introduction to the film.

I liked the 80 minutes long movie and given that it was the first picture by the Baghdasaryan brothers, they deserve respect and praise for making an engrossing and intriguing film. The subject of the movie was new for me because I did not know anything about The Mumbai Xpress, one of the most extensive and demanding routes of The Indian Auto rickshaw Challenge, the race across India on the auto-rickshaw or tuk- tuk that covers almost 2000 km. Extremely popular in the urban areas due to their simplicity,efficiency and low cost, driving Auto rickshaw across the huge continent with diverse landscape during the rainy season presents a real challenge. That's why the participants, the teams of two or three drivers from different countries, called the rally 'an amazing race for the clinically insane'. But the madness of the brave deserves a film made about it, and that's exactly what Baghdasaryan brothers did. Technically, their film deserves praise. They were able to create a mood of the travel. Shot during the rainy season, the movie is soaked in rain and leaves impression of danger waiting on the every turn of the treacherous roads. The soundtrack, superimposed on the images of long and often grueling journeys between the cities, helps to feel excitement as well as fatigue and frustration that the participants inevitably and regularly have to deal with.

Of several international team-participants, the Baghdasaryan chose the Team US/ Canada team, which included Rick, a Chicago Realtor, and Keith, a Canadian Chef to follow in their adventures during Mumbai Xpress. Rick and Keith, despite their far from extreme occupation back home (or, perhaps, because of it), were ready for excitement and unexpected turns on the treacherous roads during the tropical never ending rain. It was fun in the beginning to follow them on the trip where the problems with their tuk-tuk happened all the time but somewhere in the middle of the road following their team only became a little repetitive and monotonous. I kept thinking of the others teams and how they were handing the long trip. Especially, I wanted to follow the only female team participants and to experience the rally from their perspective. Another slight quibble I have to the film, it was hard to distinguish one city or town on the way from another. I am not sure how the footage should have been edited to pick the most interesting and memorable signs of each new place but there is something for the creators to improve during the work on the future projects. Now, after few weeks since I saw the film, I think that the trailer was the best part of the experience. But as I mentioned above, Hit the Road: India is quite good as a debut in documentary and I am sure that it is a beginning of the long and successful road for the Baghdasaryan Brothers.

Across the great continent of India, two friends, Richard Gazarian and Keith King make the discovery of a lifetime. Securing a couple of cameras, backpacks and several different conveyances, along with their Motorcycles, these two intrepid travelers make their way across India during the traditional Monsoon. The Director Gor Baghdasaryan follows them as they travel over and through the narrow rain soaked, pot hole infested highway of India. Their dialog is sparse as is their meager provisions. Surviving being pelted by the incessant rain, several accidents and flat tires they nevertheless view India as a tourist would. The two young men remain stalwart in their resolve and arrive at their destination. For those of us who journey with them, a good adventure is in store, One which is envious from those who wish they can only dream of such an adventure, but remained behind in their armchairs. Recommended to the intrepid. ****