Sunday, November 14th, 2004
Big boys have their toys
Anil Ambani’s Lamborghini: The lean industrialist runs a tight ship and drives a mean machine. Sure, the car runs on aviation fuel, but Ambani Jr has his own refinery. He talks fast, runs fast, copilots one of India’s fastest growing empires and has enough energy to light up half of Mumbai.
Mukesh Ambani’s speed dial: The question is not whether you are on Mukesh Ambani’s phone book. The question is, are you on his speed dial. Never mind the Maybach and the imminent mansion on Carmichael Road. Ambani Sr can work the phones to serious effect. With his kind of connections, it’s hardly surprising he has crafted one of the biggest success stories in Indian telecom.
Harsh Goenka’s art collection: He can fill the Jehangir, the NGMA, the Museum Art Gallery. Mumbai doesn’t have enough galleries to showcase Goenka’s art. So it lines the walls of his numerous offices and homes in the city. (Harsh Goenka also owns India’s finest music collection. The entire HMV archives rest with him.)
Vijay Mallya’s Porsche 911: And Vijay Mallya’s horses. And Vijay Mallya’s private aircraft. And Vijay Mallya’s not even in Mumbai more than a few days a month.
Gautam Singhania’s boat: And Gautam Singhnaia’s Ferrari in London. And Gautam Singhania’s party at Powai. The world is Singhi’s playpen and he has toys scattered all over. Sneak peek by invitation only. The rest of us read all about it in the papers.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Playstation: SRK has two Beemers in his garage, the year’s biggest blockbuster under his Versace belt and a heritage villa by the sea. But at heart, he remains a little boy and gaming freak who loves his Sony Playstation.
Hrithik Roshan’s Jaguar: His last big movie dealt with life on other planets but back on terra firma, he prefers more earthly pleasures. Like gliding down the empty streets of Mumbai at night in his bottle blue Jag.
John Abraham’s Hayabusa: Think it over. Hayabusa is a bit of mouthful to pronounce. But all it took was one helluva hunk and one blockbuster movie to make the Hayabusa a household name. Ask the customs department. Hayabusas are now arriving at the docks by the boatful.
Amitabh Bachchan’s gym bag: At 62, he packs in more energy, more movies and more ad campaigns than stars half his age. More than his watch collection, his car collection and his art collection, it is his training kit that remains AB’s favourite toy. Every morning, at the crack of dawn, he’s out of bed like a rocket. He hits the gym and pumps it up.
This piece appeared on 11th November 2004 in the anniversary issue of Downtown Plus, a Times of India supplement