The Man with the Iron Heart

To honor a relationship, a man embarks upon a 2000km road trip from Mumbai to Rishikesh and learns that it is truly about the journey - because the destination is always the same. Very early one morning, before the sun even appears over the horizon, our nameless protagonist packs his bag, hops in his car and leaves the concrete jungle of Mumbai. He drives alone on endless kilometers of highway. We do not know where is going, nor why. But we do know that he has a reason for this journey, albeit one that truly frustrates him. We can see it in his eyes, the determination that keeps him focused on the road, and can hear it in his voice as talks to himself in exasperation. Throughout the 2,000 km that he travels across seven states in India, the resentment turns to acceptance and then to celebration; and the reason for his expedition unveils itself. He is honoring a relationship. He pauses for a herd of sheep crossing the road outside of Surat, spends a sleepless night in Ahmedabad, eats in roadside dhabas and almost gives up on his mission in Udaipur. Refusing to be a 'quitter', he adjusts his perspective and ventures on to some of the holiest places in India - the banks of the Ganges River in Haridwar and Rishikesh - via the Taj Mahal. Even though he is alone, he is not lonely. Even though he has doubts, he is sure of himself. He comes to terms with relationship that has driven him forward on this trip, and in life. He comes to realize that it truly is about the journey. Not because the destination is not meaningful, but because for each and every one of us, the destination is exactly the same.