Radhika Apte, actor
My first set of wheels was a bicycle. I had a Ladybird when I was growing up, after which I had a TVS Scooty. The car that I learnt how to drive on was a Mitsubishi Lancer. It was my first experience on a vehicle with a clutch, gears and four wheels. I fell in love with a boy, and he taught me how to drive. It was his car. After that, the first car that I drove on my own was a Santro.
Shahnaz Husain, entrepreneur
If you put me on a cycle and push it I can ride, but I can’t get on or get off. So my brother used to be very sweet, and push me saying, “Shanno, go.” Then I shout, “Get me off; get me off!” I had a Raleigh. The first car I got was from my father, for my wedding. I think it was for ₹12,000. It was a cream Ambassador. He borrowed (money) and got two cars, one for me and one for my sister. As a chief justice, he had a salary of ₹4,500. My (own) first car was a bright red Standard Herald.
Lakshmi, actor
We had an Austin 8, in which I learnt driving and also got my licence. It’s been years since my licence expired and family members have not allowed me to renew it as I drive very fast, and I’m told I have no traffic sense! All I do is yell at everyone who is breaking rules on the roads. Sometimes, I even get off my car and shout at people. They stare back and I yell back at them for that too. Strangely, if people on our roads become disciplined, we will get bored! I think we thrive amidst all this chaos.
Ramesh Aravind, actor
I don’t drive much. I prefer to sit in the backseat with my smartphone. And when I take the wheel, which is very rare, I think to myself, how does my poor driver survive all this? I think people should stop honking unnecessarily. Everyone has the right to use the road as much as you do. Everyone wants to reach home first. So we have to think collectively that we are all in the same boat and learn to avoid stress and think about being calm and patient even when stuck in the middle of a bad traffic jam.
Inputs from Shilpa Sebastian, Aditi Singh, Sunalini Mathew