Yes, there are some cliched rags-to-riches stories that one hears but mostly it is a dreams-to-nightmare drama that runs a full house.
But for those who make it, those who get to wear that halo, and for those whom the lower benches of cinemas whistle in appreciation, heaven is the limit. They become stars...and stars got to have cars!
Lights....Rolling...
If you want to tell the world, directors, producers and their agents that you have arrived, you better arrive in a Mitsubishi Pajero.This is not really Mercedes Benz territory. It is considered a jinxed automobile for superstars and no star worth his make-up goes in for the three-pointed star. Dilip Kumar has one, but he acquired it when he had nothing much to lose anyway. And yes, Vinod Khanna still believes in Mercedes Benz and drives it to the Osho Ashram. Note: no longer to the studio. And then there is this story doing the rounds that Shahrukh Khan played only psychopath roles while he drove around in a S class Merc, his fortune changing the moment he sold it.
Mind you, Shahrukh knows his cars and is particular about what he drives even on the screen. No wonder one saw him driving the sterling white Lamborghini Countach and a rare Mercedes 500SEL convertible in Dilwale Dulhaniya...
Scene one take two
Think of a hero and you think Jackie Shroff in tight, black leather trousers, right? Heres a man who loves his cars. And the only one who owns a really super car a blood-red, mid-engined Lotus Espirit.Tucked away in the garage is the most macho machine of them all, a Mitsubishi Pajero.
Pajero is the ultimate status symbol for Mumbaiyyas, and Bollywood heroes can take the credit for endowing it with the requisite aura. BS Motoring test-drove one that belonged to director Mukul Anand. The big Mitsubishi is class all over and quite versatile when it comes to terrain changes.
Directors, producers and hairy chested stars love this car...oops, Sport Utility Vehicle. This is a mans car all the way Akshay Kumar drives one and never lets his chauffeur touch it.
But for Bollywood bombshells, the armour-plated Pajero is not quite the thing. They look for cars they'd like to be seen in; few have opinions on the make or model. Presumably, the looks are all that matter; the rest can always be dubbed in, right?
They can also unknowingly end up with exotics. Raveena Tandon drives a Mazda Miata, which qualifies as a modern classic. These little workhorses are supposed to send these stars cuteness quotient skyrocketing, hence their desire to be seen in one of them.
Another fashion accessory without which an actress is a non-entity is the motorhome. These Tempo Traveller conversions come with all modcons TV, music system, air-conditioned make-up room with chemical toilets. Flaunting a motorhome at outdoor sets effects all sorts of miracles, including establishing the heroine in question on the filmi firmament, consequently upping her price tag. Cars are used only for ferrying them to social eventsand at that, they had better match the chosen choli of the evening!
Toyota Sera Action!
Now for the car of the week. The small, gull winged car in the pictures is the Toyota Sera. Unquestionably the car of nineties Bollywood. There are at least six doing the rounds in Mumbai, in varying states of repair. BS Motoring found a spotless example that belongs to Nadeem and Parvati Khan. For both it was love at first sight. It is all too evident that the aesthetic sense of a movie director and director of photography has informed the Sera-buying. I like the way she looks shes kind of weird, says Nadeem. Weird, the Sera may be. Its also the reason why its unfailingly a head turner.
Flash back to 1989
The rollicking eighties were coming to an end, and an affordable sports car was on the agenda of every Japanese manufacturer. And in Japan small cars under 600CC enjoyed massive duty concessions. Thus the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino, the Mazda MZ1 et al; all small cars with small engines capable of amazing power. The Toyota boffins took another way out. Their car would have a big engine but a small and light chassis, thereby giving the car a good power to weight ratio.
Then someone in the design studio went for a wild run, and came up with a smart, gull-winged car with a glass-house top. Every inch of the Starlet chassis was used and the car had very little overhangs. The smart designer also provided two reasonable rear seats and even adequate luggage room for a weekend run. But under the bonnet was a 1500CC in-line four cylinder motor that pumped out 110 bhp. A monstrous output for a car this small. The engine sported electronic fuel injection and was mated to a silky smooth automatic transmission.
The uncluttered body styling is complemented by a futuristic yet tasteful interior. The `concept car looks prevail, but everything from hazard switch to the hand brake is ergonomically placed. Apart from the well-contoured facia, the assortments of switches and levers indicate the extensive sourcing from the Toyota parts bin. Negatives? The colour of the resin upholstery is disappointing, but that remains an issue of personal taste.
I had never thought of the car as a thriller to drive. The lightweight coupe is as agile as a greyhound and the 16 valve engine is eager to put down all that power to the front wheels. Nadeem Khan kept me company, but was not against me pushing the car a bit. The Sera is quite quick for an automatic and we clocked a sixty kph run in under 6 seconds. But the mid-range pull of the car impressed me the most. The three speed auto box was suddenly a pain, and I craved for a proper manual box, so that I could shave some precious seconds off the zero to 100 kph timing.
Mind you I was driving a five year old car. The engine still had that crispy feel of a new car and that after 35,000 km. The maximum speed that can be achieved is 140 kph... I didnt try it out. The fuel efficiency of the car is only of academic interest since nobody checks the fuel consumption figures of a fancy second car. But 12 to 14 kpl is not bad at all, and is specially significant for heroines who feature in more than one flop film a year...
The reliable underpinnings of the Starlet, the overall build quality and the workhorse of a performance motor make the Sera a special car. It doesnt feature in most Toyota literature these days and I believe has been replaced by some thing less futuristic. Though the car carries the 'ideal 17th birthday gift for the tycoons daughter image, there is something serious about the way it moves. The soul of a thoroughbred sports car definitely lurks behind those body panels. It is one of those tragic twists that in Bollywood a Sera is bought as an accessory rather than for what it is capable of.
Want one? We hear that brand new Seras and some very low mileage examples are stocked by some Toyota dealers in the Gulf. An imported Sera is best acquired as a freebie when you sign on for a film. But on the cold cash terms that rule in Bollywood it will set you back by Rs 12 to 15 lakh. Used cars are reportedly available for as cheap as Rs 6 lakh. At that price, youd be buying yourself an ending as happy as the last hit Hindi film you saw.
If you want to tell the world, directors, producers and their agents that you have arrived, youd better arrive in a Mitsubishi Pajero
