Gaurav Jani, who loved motorcycling, travel and adventure and made two films about his passions, died on May 24, 2020, of multiple organ failure. Jani was 47 years old. An online event is paying tribute to Jani by screening two films: one directed by him and the other a documentary about his irrepressible spirit.
The event has been organised by Vikalp@Prithvi, which holds weekly screenings of classic and contemporary documentaries followed by discussions. The event can be accessed on the Vikalp@ Prithvi Facebook page.
Jani’s Riding Solo to the Top of the World, made in 2006, was a feat by any standards. Jani shot the film, about his solo ride from Mumbai to Changthang Plateau in Ladakh on a Royal Enfield Bullet 350, all by himself.
“I doubt there is any one single documentary that has been so widely accepted, so widely rewarded,” says editor and filmmaker Sankalp Meshram in his film Remembering Gaurav Jani. Both documentaries are being shown by Vikalp@ Prithvi.
In 2009, Jani made his second documentary, One Crazy Ride, in which he and four other bikers drove from Guwahati to Arunachal Pradesh.
Remembering Gaurav Jani includes heartfelt tributes by Jani’s family, friends and members of 60kph Motorcycle Travel Club India, a biking group that he founded. Jani was “daring, he was bold, he didn’t care what others thought, he did what he wanted to do”, his brother Uday Jani says in Remembering Gaurav Jani. The Vikalp@Prithvi event is a reminder of an adventurer who who inspired countless people to travel, dream, and experience India in all its rugged glory.