A biker's dreams

While growing up, Sachin S. Shetty would often see his father indulge an innate passion for biking, traversing through rugged terrains and signing up for outdoorsy escapades. Little did he know the love of cycling would rub off on him as well. The 26-year-old recently covered a tour — ‘Lights, Camera Ladakh’ — spanning 11,000 km alone in 40 days across 13 states. He embarked on the trip to film an online documentary for his popular YouTube channel — Shutterboxfilms_official — on the myriad cuisines and cultures of the country.

“I was 12 when I first experienced the sheer thrill of biking (almost) as a pillion rider. Since dad loved biking, he ensured I knew the basics from a very young age. In fact, it was during one of our trips from Udupi to Subramanya, which is a 150-km ride, that I properly ended up learning how to ride my bike. I attribute my interest in the sport entirely to him. And there hasn’t been any looking back ever since,” shares Sachin, adding, “I am convinced that life is all about the journeys you allow yourself to experience.”

His recent solo trip, which had the cinematographer vrooming right from Udupi to Kashmir to Kanyakumari, garnered much attention. But Sachin always saw it coming. “I always knew I’d be doing this. Also, nothing brings people together like food. In a country like India, we are literally a melting pot of unique cuisines and a brush of different flavours. So, this tour is a by-product of my passions  — photography, biking, food and travel,” says Sachin, who holds a diploma in animation.

Being a full-time D.O.P. cameraman in Sandalwood films, pursuing his passion gets a little hectic. But again, nothing is a hindrance for this adventurous youngster. “I always make time for travel. I believe in capturing memories through interesting episodes and when you believe in something, you pursue it no matter what,” quips Sachin, whose Instagram account has over 2,000 followers and counting. The biking enthusiast uploads some of his best travel experiences on his YouTube channel.

“My channel is quite active. I’ve uploaded a lot of 20-minute episodes to encourage safe, yet fun riding among youngsters,” he says. On days when he wants to take a breather from work and biking, it’s photography that lights up his soul. “I’m an absolute lover of the lens! I love clicking and editing my photographs. It’s literally the only thing I love doing in my free time. I hope it gets acknowledged as a memoir from me to the world,” he says.

Given that his passion is taking him places, this Bengalurean is in a happy place. “My mother has always been very supportive, though she’s quite concerned about my safety too. But since she’s aware that I’m a responsible rider and have only propagated safe and mindful riding among people, she’s been my first fan and last critic. I’m excited about the documentary and doing my bit to spread awareness about the incredible cuisine culture of my country. I hope I do justice to the message I wish to put across,” he concludes.