Life has always been lived in the fast lane to live your dreams. The closer you move to your dreams, the better you feel. Then there are some people who live for their passion, who live for their dream to ride, who live for the roar of engines which fascinates them and they live for their love for speed. Dr.ArunThareja of Delhi, who runs a popular group called GODS – Group of Delhi Superbikers, shares the same love story with his superbikes, like the one we share with our girlfriend/boyfriend.
It is the adrenaline rush that made him start this group way back in 1998. He shares, “In 1998, I caught hold of one more person from the city who had a superbike at that time apart from me. So both of us got together and we would just do a routine Sunday ride and on one of those Sunday rides, the name randomly came to my mind – GODS – Group of Delhi Superbikers. I shared it with him and he was completely bowled over and suggested that I register the name and even design a logo.” Dr Arun further explains, “We eventually started the group just for fun and for the purpose of getting together – even now it is basically about satisfying your own passion that is riding. I rode superbikes solo from 1984 to 1998 and that is how we slowly grew. The basic purpose of GODS is to enjoy your passion for riding, but slowly Delhi University colleges, NGOs or some other companies started approaching us to help them gather crowds and raise funds for noble causes.”
GODS has also worked with some NGOs and helped them raise funds, to which the doctor says, “Recently an NGO of animal lovers contacted us and we helped them raise funds. Similarly during the Nepal earthquake, we raised funds and gave a cheque to Times of India for the same. We keep doing these small things that make us feel even better. We have gone out of our way sometimes and even invested from our own pockets to help others.”
GODS is not only for raising funds and doing charity work – the group is known for having fun every Sunday for almost 2 decades now. They decide their ride on Saturday evening and hit the roads on Sunday morning with their bikes roaring down the streets of Delhi NCR. Not only this, they always take one extreme trip to some foreign country once in a year. In 2013, they added another feather to their cap by making a trip to Thailand. Around 37 riders flew down to Chiang Mai and went on to explore Thailand on rented superbikes, covering almost all of North Thailand. Post Thailand, the group has also been to Bhutan on their bikes where some members drove from Delhi to Bhutan and some started their drive from Siliguri. They now have even bigger plans for next year as they are planning to take GODS to English soil and drive in Scotland. Dr Arun explains, “We have now picked up the pace and have decided to see the world on bikes.”
Someone once rightly said, “Speed thrills, but kills too”. When asked about the same, the doctor advises the superbiking youth saying, “The only message we want to give to the youth is not to drive rash. We have seen many people drive rash and end up crashing their bikes. Superbikes are not meant for everyone. Don’t straight away jump onto a superbike – first get a proper feel of regular bikes available in the market.” He continues, “The other thing which is important is that whether it is summer or winter, you must always be suited up in a proper biking kit every time you hit the road. Another point I’d like to draw attention to is following law and order. I urge the youth to follow these instructions and not to let down this lovely passion known as motorcycling. I have been riding for 30 years, and earlier people didn’t seem to follow rules that often. Things are changing now, but we still have a long way to go.”
The group has almost every kind of superbike available in the market – from Ninjas, Hayabusas and Truimphs to BMWs, Harley Davidsons, Ducatis and even mammoth Honda Gold Wings. Almost all the bikes are customised according to the needs of the riders. When asked how this group became one of the most popular motorcycling groups in India, Dr Thareja says, “One major factor that made us what we are today was the profiling of the members – the right people make the right group.”
He has informally interviewed over 500 bikers, but only 125 have been lucky enough to be a part of this influential riders’ group. There are certain criteria which one has to follow to be a part of GODS. You have to be 25 years old or above (of course) and should own at least a 600cc bike. Education plays a pivotal role in selecting a rider and at the end; the doctor and other members of the group will select the candidate after an informal personal interview where they assess the maturity level of the person to determine if he is able to handle such ferocious machines.
The group consists of almost every kind of rider – from businessmen and doctors to entrepreneurs and working professionals. AnujSawhney of Tom, Dick and Harry fame, who has also done numerous advertisements and music videos, is also a part of this passion-driven group. Not many are aware that Anuj is also an entrepreneur and is the Managing Director of the Swiss Military India brand.
In an exclusive interview with Abraxas NU, Anuj talks about his professional and personal life and the idea of joining GODS.
Excerpts from the interview:
When did you join GODS? What made you decide to join this bikers’ group?
I was a biker in college and I used to own a Yamaha RX100 which I had to share with my brother. After I graduated, I went to the US and was completely disconnected from bikes and my passion. I came back in 2010 and it was at that moment that I realised that my son was also really fond of bikes. So I bought a Harley Davidson and being creative, I customised it with flames and other graphics. I was not really a part of any gang and usually rode once in a month or sometimes a week. At that time, my brother-in-law was riding with a bikers’ gang called Hyosung. Once when he was over for dinner he said, “I have to leave early as I’m riding in the morning.” Curious, I asked him about it and he told me that they were a group of 40 riders and every weekend they would ride on the national highway just for fun and offered me the chance to join. I went along and for the rest of the week the only thought which kept running through my mind was when I would get back on my bike again for the ride. I was so passionate about it I started planning my foreign trips in a way that I leave for another country by Sunday evening so that I wouldn’t miss my ride in the morning and I’d come back by Saturday evening or night, again so that I wouldn’t miss my Sunday ride. I was so crazy about riding that even if I landed at 3am, I would wait for the other riders at a gas station at 5am.
In 2011, a very close friend of mine introduced me to Dr ArunThareja and ever since I’ve been riding with them. They are like family now.
How do you customise your bikes?
Being a creative person, I always wanted to do something out-of-the-box. Even in Bollywood, I did movies which were never attempted before, be it Chingariand Fun2shh. As an entrepreneur, I always wanted to think something extra and give my customers’ things which they need, but were not available in the market. My Ninja is also customised with a Captain America theme. The Harley that I had customised a few years ago from Mumbai has flames all over the body – something that wasn’t easy to do. It took 6 weeks for my Ninja to get that Captain America-based look and countless days (around 4 months) for my Harley to get the look I desired. It’s just something I keep doing in every field I am into.
What does biking mean to you?
For me, biking is a kind of meditation. I always have a bluetooth in my ear and am listening to music whenever I’m riding. So for the 2-3 hours that I’m riding, I’m in another world. I never think of any personal or professional problems at that moment – it’s the road, it’s your brothers with you, the bike and the noise of the engines. People used to say that “shurushuruka craze hai, after a while it’ll get boring for you.” But for me, the obsession and the passion increases with every ride.
I have tested around 200 bikes that have been launched in the market, from Ducatis to Hondas to Ninjas.
You are a businessman first and then a Bollywood actor. What has the experience been like?
I believe life has been given to you to experience different things. You cannot channelise something by saying I’m only an entrepreneur or only an actor. I ride, I have even written many articles on various topics and I would love to write a book someday. I love experiencing different things.
How did you get into acting?
It was just another passion. I did theatre and street plays and wanted to get into acting, but I always wanted to have a backup plan – what if acting doesn’t work out? It somehow worked quite well and even now I’m working on 3 more projects, but at the same time I’m also an entrepreneur and doing what I love.
