I learnt how to be still from the mountains: Amit Sadh

On the occasion of International Mountain Day, the Breathe actor spoke about his adventures in the Himalayas and lessons learnt
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; December 12, 2023)

For Amit Sadh, who grew up in Mukteshwar, the mountains have always had a special place in his heart. So, every time the actor gets a breather from work, he heads to his family home there and goes trekking and exploring. On the occasion of International Mountain Day (December 11), the Kai Po Che! actor spoke to us about growing up in the hills.

'I feel blessed I got to grow up so close to the Himalayas'
Talking about his childhood, Amit said, “I feel blessed I got to grow up so close to the Himalayas. You can see the Annapurna mountain range (in Nepal) from my house and when you go higher up towards Mukteshwar, you can see the Himalayan peaks — Trishul and Panchachuli. I have seen all this since childhood, but it’s still not enough for me. There is always that sense of awe.”

Remembering one of his first treks with his father, the Sukhee actor says, “We were heading to the glaciers and after a point, I felt tired. My father told me, ‘Change the focus and see the mountains, pay attention to the sounds of the river and look at the clouds. If you want to go to the summit, it won’t come easy.’ These words have always stayed with me and encouraged me. From Spiti, Kinnaur to Zanskar, I enjoy exploring India’s majestic mountains.”

‘The closer we come to nature, the more we understand humanity’
Spending time in the mountains has been therapeutic for Amit. “Even after I shifted to Mumbai to become an actor, the mountains kept calling me back. There’s a lot of anxiety in our lives, especially in this business. From the mountains, I learnt how to be still and today, everyone around me sees this calmness in me. I think the closer we come to nature, the more we can understand humanity,” says the actor. “If I’m caught up with work, I make short trips to Matheran, Mulshi and Pune. I love the Sahyadri mountain range,” he adds.

‘Today, there’s a threat to the mountains'
Pointing out the importance of mountains, Amit says, “Mountains provide valuable resources like minerals, timber and fresh water. Today, they are facing a huge environmental challenge. There’s climate change, deforestation, unsustainable development and population explosion. We all saw what happened in Himachal Pradesh this year. There’s a threat to the mountains and the need of the hour is to create awareness.”