Vanity on wheels

IT'S the ultimate mean machine where filmdom's A-listers powder their egos. No, we're not talking about glitzy designer cars, but vanity vans that are symbolic with star power. From Shah Rukh Khan's 14-metre long mobile spaceship, Sanjay Dutt's whopping Rs 3 crore van inspired by Air Force 1, to Hrithik Roshan's chic lounge on wheels - size does matter in Bollywood. It's a far cry from the late '70s and early '80s when stars sweated it out in grim studio make-up rooms. Today, the vanity van has transformed itself from a utility to a star's alter ego. "Earlier, studio make-up rooms were ill-maintained. The loos had gaping holes. Outdoors meant plastic chairs and assistants scurrying around with umbrellas," recalls actor Chunky Pandey.

Says film director Mahesh Bhatt, "The van culture is proportionate to the affluence of modern film-making. Today, stars demand that production houses hire vans from a particular supplier who customises the van to his whims. The bigger the star, the fancier his carriage."

Sumit Sabharwal, head of production at Vishesh Films says, "The van's as costly as the star's market value! Akshay Kumar settles for nothing less than a triple door, centrally AC van with three, fully-furnished rooms, an LCD plasma and a state-of-the-art make-up unit costing Rs 8,000 per day. John Abraham insists on a twindoor van with two interconnected rooms with luxe features. Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta ask for twin door vans costing Rs 5,500 per day."

Ketan Rawal, the owner of Mumbadevi Vehicles, one of the oldest van hiring services in Bollywood, feels, "It's a van race. There are almost 300 vans and 80 suppliers. Earlier, stars made do with an AC and a sofa. Today, we invest Rs 30 lakh on one van - it's about 5-star opulence." Within the cocooned privacy of a vanity van lies many hushed secrets. An actress reveals, "Who can forget Emraan Hashmi storming out of the sets of Raaz 2, as love birds Kangana Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman made out for over two hours in her van!" Salman Khan is also rumoured to have assaulted Katrina inside her van on the sets of Yuvraj."

Be it for rendezvous or ego massages, vanity vans are the joystick of tech-savvy stars. Actor Riteish Deshmukh says, "A van's like a car, you want an upgrade every few years." Dilip Chabbria, who's customised vans for Khan, Hrithik and Sanjay Dutt amongst others, says, "Actors spend more time in their vans than in their homes. Also, stars are well informed and aspiring, so naturally they demand a product they're comfortable with; that reflects their innate style and persona. The budgets range from Rs 50 lakh-Rs 4 cr."

It's time to vroooom away then!

hrithik roshan

This 12-metre van flaunts a twin make-up section with electronically activated mirrors at 280 degree sweep. The front has an office and a grand lounge. The two make-up sections are midway through the van; the bedroom has a full shower. In white and black, the van has a white cedar floor and a 52" LCD screen at front and 42" LCD in bedroom with two sets of audio and video and a full-screen galley.

Sanjay Dutt

This futuristic 12-metre van is asymmetric in design. It houses an office lounge, a well-stocked bar with stools that slide out at the touch of a button, and plush sofas. Plasma screens are placed in four corner. The van is replete with touchscreen controlled mood lighting. A second touchscreen panel activates audiovideo, gaming consoles and on-board computers storing 10,000 songs and films. Quite filmy, we must say!

Viveik Oberoi

Projecting the image of a rock star, this 10.5-metre van base bears a large mono volume space and a multi-level floor. The front houses a revolving massage chair, a guest lounge and make-up section. The central sunken section has a large bed under twin moon roofs, while at the rear is a galley, jacuzzi, and a vacuumed toilet. The aisle has a huge LCD screen.

Shah Rukh Khan

This 14-metre Volvo B9R houses a living space, workstation, entertainment system, bedroom, gymnasium and toilet with 24-hour water storage. The unique hydraulic system pushes out the living space to double the floor space when the van is stationary. The personal office, gym, bedroom and rear toilet are separated by individual doors. There are two 52" screens with home theatre systems, gaming stations, office systems like computers, fax, printers, satellite TV systems and mood lights using remote touch screens. The interiors are in chrome, steel and grey. The mini-kitchen has a microwave and other cooking appliances. There's a wardrobe, a shoe rack, a special corner for guests and a library.