Pic Courtesy/Sameer Malhotra

Why am I biking so much? Maybe, because I work only as much as I need to," says actor Satyadeep Misra, who you will remember as Rosie's suitor Johnny from Bombay Velvet and TV series P.O.W. — Bandi Yuddh Ke, where he played a soldier. We are sitting at his Versova home talking about bikes over a glass of gin.

Kemmu and Misra's social media is full of riding clicks, including those taken outside Café Monza in Kharghar, where they ride down on Sundays. Pics/Instagram

The cupboard next to us in the living room, is topped with helmets, which he says will grow in number. If you follow Misra on Instagram, you know that over the last year, he has biked to Uttaranchal, Himachal, Goa, Nepal and Hampi. His biking friends include actor Kunal Kemmu, who will next be seen in Karan Johar's Kalank, and whose social media feed is also full of riding clicks. Some of these see him posing with his bike, and some are taken with Misra outside Café Monza in Kharghar, where they ride down early on most Sunday mornings for breakfast.

Satyadeep Misra

Misra has a Ducati Scrambler, and Kemmu used to have a MV Agusta Brutale 1090 RR, and now has a Ducati Scrambler too. Their retail indulgences include biking jackets, one helmet after another, gloves and of course, biking boots. "After the Uttaranchal trip, riding became a big part of my life. I wake up only thinking of riding. The question on my mind always is 'when is my next biking trip going to be?' I think I work, just so I can ride," says Misra.

Kunal Kemmu

Unlike Misra, who caught the bug last year, Kemmu harboured the dream of biking since school, because he thought it was "cool". "My uncle bought me a bike, but the day it got delivered, I was in college, and my father sent it back," he tells us. "I have always been a rider. But, it's only in the last six months that I have started to enjoy what it's all about. I have made friends with those who ride with me. And I have been getting all this gear that improves the riding experience," says the new father, who is quick to tell us that the one thing wife Soha Ali Khan tells him, is to be careful.

In Robert M Pirsig's Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author writes, "In a car, you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it, you don't realise that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming."

When Misra speaks of riding on a bike, he compares the feeling to flying. "If you see my bike, which is an off-roader, it's high up there, and as you are sitting on it, you too are sort of squatting in air. So, when you are cruising along, it does feel like you are flying," he says. When we ask, what he thinks about when he rides, he says, "It's hard to think because you are focussed on the road. All your instincts are tuned to the road, and keeping the bike in control. But as you start doing it more, it gets easier to disconnect and ride. As I said, it's the closest I have come to flying."

For Kemmu, it started off by being about the sound, speed and how the bike looks. But, in recent times, he has felt it become a stress buster. "There are days when you will be stuck in traffic, and feeling baked in all that gear, but then, there will be days where it will be a breeze. The risk factor also adds to the romance. At the end of the day, it's about the relationship between man and machine, and that's priceless."

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Actor Kunal Kemmu says he has learnt that when you don't want to impress and when no one is watching, dancing is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool. He proved it with his impromptu dance video that he posted on social media.

"Somewhere between painting singing dancing and doing online classes with the toddler I learnt that dancing when you don't want to impress and when no one is watching is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool. no look no choreography no plan. Just let the music guide your body and mind #barefoot #impromptudance," he captioned it.

He and his wife Soha Ali Khan have been using social media to give glimpses of their personal lives during the quarantine phase. And that involves their daughter quite often.

A few weeks ago, Kunal and his daughter Inaaya were seen peeling peas in an image. "It's just a 'matar' of time...#lockdown...#stayhome..#twopeasinapod," Soha had captioned the picture.

 

 

 

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Somewhere between painting singing dancing and doing online classes with the toddler I learnt that dancing when you don’t want to impress and when no one is watching is not just therapeutic but also looks pretty cool😎 no look no choreography no plan. Just let the music guide your body and mind #barefoot #impromptudance

A post shared by Kunal Kemmu (@khemster2) onMay 7, 2020 at 10:41pm PDT

Kunal has also stayed connected with his colleagues virtually. On Wednesday, he was part of a virtual reunion with his "Malang" costars Anil Kapoor, Disha Patani, and Aditya Roy Kapur.

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ZEE5’s franchise ‘Abhay’ earned much praise for its first season. The second season is set to bring to the forefront of ruthless crime stories. While the audience braces up for ‘Abhay 2’, the announcement video is an early gut punch to kickstart the hunger games. Kunal Khemu will be seen essaying the role of Abhay Pratap Singh, who understands a criminal’s mindset. The video starts with him asserting that the stakes are not only higher but it's his unrequited fight with the demons inside these criminals. There is also a bigger threat that is looming over Abhay this season, watch this space for more.

The largest OTT player in India, ZEE5, just released the announcement video of season 2. The announcement promo keeps the audience nerves incited and promises a lot of spine-chilling action & drama. Abhay is back, testing his limits again and trying to overcome bigger and newer challenges.

Produced by B.P. Singh’s Firefly productions and directed by Ken Ghosh, ‘Abhay 2' will premiere this year, exclusively on ZEE5.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news