The Expression Hub

Genre: Sports/Slice-of life

Number of episodes: 9

Presented by: Cycling Octopus: Cinematic Indian Documentaries

“A gem cannot be polished without friction nor a man perfected by trials.”

-Chinese proverb

This month raises tribute to the most neglected part of our life-health. It is often said health is wealth. Or as Swami Vivekananda says, “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. ” But in the hustle and bustle of life, we often forget or neglect this aspect. And then we end up up having various diseases. However, if we care for our health we do not have to suffer in the long run. After all an average human being lives for a minimum 60 years. So, if you have been someone who has neglected your health for a long time, now is the high time to get your health back on track slowly and steadily.

There are different ways of achieving your health goals. Bicycling is one of the methods so is racing with a motorcycle or motocross as someone might refer to. This week’s pick revolves around nine such stories which involve the love for bikes in some or the other manner.

Synopsis: Friction tells us 9 such stories which are connected with the world of biking in some manner. All of them share one thing in common and that is their love for bikes whether it be a bicycle or a motorcycle. While some have pursued their love for biking in the form of racing; others have helped restore or collected bikes in any form. While they reminisce about the good times they had while biking. They also lament the fact about the present condition of the sport. But they are hopeful or talk about how the scene can change. One story talks about how a future generation is being shaped up to race in motocross races . While the other talks about how she challenges herself to explore outside her comfort zone . There is an individual who built India’s fastest electric bike and the challenges he and his friends faced while doing so.

Assessment: Friction tries to explore the love one has for biking in different forms. It tries to bring individuals from different walks of life and try to understand what makes them love the sport. It offers a fresh take by providing multiple perspectives. While the stories are nice and refreshing as they highlight the love; the cinematography could have been a little better. But it can be understood as a case wherein one might have faced budget constraints or a case wherein high-quality camera equipment might not be available. Also, if there might have been some connecting factor apart from the love of biking; it would have been a better case. This is because the human brain or me as a viewer can connect better when there is a pattern or something which connects the dots. What should be appreciated is the fact that they decided to put in the effort and bring together 9 different stories. This is because it takes a lot of time and effort to work on such projects. Another good point is that the episodes are short the maximum time duration is that of 17 minutes. So, if you are struggling with time , then this can be your pick.

The View: Friction is a good watch if you are looking for something different. It helps us to meet different people from the city of Pune who are passionate about one thing- their love for bikes. So, if you are a person who loves slice-of-life stories or a person who is a lover of bikes then this show can be watched by you.

Rating: ***

Baap Dialogue: “It is the enthusiasm that keeps you going not the money.”

Que: What is the name of the company which built India’s fastest electric bike?

a. Torque Motors

b. Hero Motors

c. Thomas Motors

d. Tork Motors