Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 20, 2018)

It’s not every day that you see a movie star tearing down a national highway on a superbike. However, Harshvardhan Rane, who is one of the leads in JP Dutta’s upcoming war drama Paltan, did exactly that — the actor rode his brand-new superbike from Mumbai to Deolali near Nasik. Now, that’s a 250-kilometre ride and Harshvardhan says that he did it as a homage to the Indian Army. “I bought this dream bike using my first pay cheque for Paltan. The ride from Mumbai to Deolali was my tribute to the film and our soldiers. This movie has been a great platform to achieve new things in life and career,” he says.

Harshvardhan has always been fascinated with motorcycles. Getting slightly philosophical about his passion for riding, he says, “When you ride alone on long stretches, you feel complete. It can be an extremely satisfying experience. When you ride, you live a little more; your body and soul are able to interact with the elements — the air, the sun and the sounds of nature. On a motorcycle ride, you don’t just cover a distance, you travel through it.”

Interestingly, when Harshvardhan expressed his desire to go biking to director J P Dutta and the production crew, they suggested that he drive a car instead. Harshvardhan reveals, “J P Dutta sir wanted me to be safe and said, ‘Kya zaroorat hai beta?’ But I assured him that I will ride safely.”

The actor also took his superbike to the Indian Army’s firing range in Deolali. He says, “The soldiers there got very excited to see the two-wheeler. On the other hand, I was excited to see their artillery range.”