Hit the Road: India

The basic idea for this documentary is simple. We follow a couple of participants in a race between Chennai and Mumbai in India. The vehicles used are what make it unique. As a nod to their preponderance in India because of their cheapness to run, the contestants all drive the auto-rickshaw, a light-weight mini motor mainly used for taxis. It's the choice of vehicle that ultimately provides most of the drama here, seeing as it is not designed in the slightest for crossing the Indian subcontinent. Unsurprisingly, it constantly breaks down, leading to lots of frustration for the racers. The very fact that this constitutes most of the drama sort of illustrates that not an awful lot actually seems to happen over the course of the race though. The main obstacles are a combination of poor quality roads and the monsoon conditions. The people they encounter along the way, on the other hand, seem pretty much universally nice. The lack of adversity does affect the impact of the film to be honest, as there aren't too many in the way of interesting events along the journey. In this way I guess it ensures that the feel is pretty authentic, however, and you do get a feel for the conditions.

Maybe it could have been edited together better though, as sometimes things suddenly happen and people appear and we have no real idea of why. The narrative aspect could definitely have been stronger for sure. And while the photography captures the road well, I often thought it would have been nice if it caught the landscape the racers were passing by more – it has an authentic feel but visually it doesn't necessarily sell India as well as it could. I suppose though it is not so often that we see the unglamorous back roads of this country so in that respect it's fairly interesting. The two racers we follow seem like nice guys though and it's easy to feel their increasing discomfort in their difficult trek cross country. For a small-scale travel documentary this is fine, even if it lacks an overall dynamism to make it last in the memory.

A very intense , riveting documentary, it was funny, it was serious , it was educational, it was inspiring, we thoroughly enjoyed it. great job to the both of you , Keith and Ric. having been to India ourselves, myself and my hubby can relate to the traffic conditions and how incredibly dangerous it is. it is a beautiful place to travel the people there treated us well, so seeing you both experience this and you made it look so easy , despite what you both went through you made us laugh and you touched our hearts in places with your kindness towards others. the filming was great, the soundtrack was great , we enjoyed the music. for anyone has hasn't been there, it is a learning tool. you get to experience an every day life in India.the extreme danger of it all, alone gave me chills. having meet both keith and ric in our travels to Thailand, we can honestly say ,they did a great job and we are proud of them both .

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. ****

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 ?

In our technologically advanced era there is an endless amount of methods for exploring a foreign land and it's often impossible to choose one that will best suit our needs. Given that nowadays even the seemingly most luxurious options tend to be somewhat affordable, people often choose those, which are the least tiring and the most pleasurable. Yet, there is still a small group of people willing to take up the challenge and begin a life-changing journey into the unknown. Although very short, that's an adequate summary of what happens in Hit the Road: India.

Directed by Armenian brothers Gor and Mushegh Baghdasaryan, Hit the Road: India closely follows two friends, Richard Gazarian and Keith King, as they travel across the country in a rickshaw, a means of transport that most would probably call old-fashioned and impractical. It's not an ordinary expedition, however. As a two-man team they've decided to participate in Mumbai Express, a 12-day-long rickshaw rally across India, along with 5 other adventure craving pairs. Although very enthusiastic at first, they gradually come to realize it's a race that demands not only lots of mental and physical strength, but also a great deal of determination and good will.

The documentary doesn't really focus on the race per se, but on the experiences that the two men have during their long trip. Days filled with enthusiasm and luck often intertwine with days marked by pain and signs of resignation, creating a very diverse travelogue of the most engaging kind. Mixed emotions only confirm that even though the decision to take part in the event might've been a bit foolish, it will surely have a greatly rewarding effect.

In the form of an audiovisual travel journal, the boys present their many escapades with the help of camera's attentive and inquisitive eye. Due to many wonderfully picturesque shots the journey is blessed with excitement, vigor, and that rare kind of beauty worthy of a true travel documentary. Complemented by an interesting, often emotional narration by the travelers, Hit the Road: India only proves that India is a country of great allure, but the further we go the more tiring such an unusual expedition might soon become.

Apart from its huge attention to eye-popping landscape shots, the camera offers a close insight into the everyday lives of Indians, who are often enormously fascinated and amused by the presence of white people. Scenes that were the most appealing to me, however, were the ones filmed by a camera hidden inside the tuk-tuk. Those short sequences have the ability to exhibit genuine feelings in a funny and surprising way.

Even though I'm perfectly aware that the directors' intentions wasn't to concentrate on the entire course of the rally, I would've loved to see what all the other participants felt about this challenging adventure. With supplementary, probably completely different perspectives on the whole thing, the film would've gained an additional driving force to give the story a more meaningful tone. It's a lot of fun to watch the guys in action, but there are a few slower moments that could otherwise be improved by an alternative point of view.

Hit the Road: India is not a remarkable documentary, but an inspiring one. What makes the film enticing is its lively and eventful depiction of the journey, meant to encourage the viewers to take a risk and experiment a bit during their own journeys. As I've mentioned earlier, there are really lots of exciting and original ways that will make an initially ordinary getaway unforgettable. So, instead of buying a plane or train ticket next time why don't you just hop on a motorbike and take a cross-country road trip somewhere in India or in any other place that still waits to be fully explored?

Original review here: http://twitchfilm.com/2013/12/review-hit-the-road-india-an-inspiring- and-vibrant-travelogue.html