Skoda Laura
The hair’s streaked, the ear’s pierced and the offers keep pouring in. Indian Idol has changed Abhijeet Sawant and he’s changed his car.

‘TWO YEARS AGO, ABHIJEET DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO DRIVE PROPERLY. HE USED TO PRACTICE ON HIS UNCLE’S ZEN.’

He’s the man with the rich voice. Er, let’s rephrase that. He’s the one whose voice made him rich. Right, that’s Abhijeet Sawant, the first Indian Idol, who’s everywhere after winning the immensely popular contest last year.
Accompanying Abhijeet as he walked out of his car was the incessant ringing of his cellphone. But to his credit, even though he’d finished a shoot at an absurd hour of the day, he didn’t keep us waiting for too long.
I’d just seen the first few episodes of Indian Idol, where our man first made his appearance. And we have to say, he’s changed! “That’s how it is in the music industry today. Looking good is as important as singing well,” says Abhijeet.
Which also explains why he’ been done in by the Skoda Laura.
“The first aspect I consider when I’m deciding on a car is the styling and its looks,” he says. He told us that he simply fell for the car’s presence. Besides, the luxurious interiors and the powerful diesel engine also helped steer him towards the Laura.
The car is a reflection of his rapid rise. Two years ago Abhijeet didn’t even know how to drive properly and used to improve his skills on his Uncle’s Zen in Sindhudurg.
But when fame hit, he got himself a Honda City. Though he was advised to hire a chauffeur, he decided against it since that was the only way he’d get better at driving.
“But I’m going to hire one now for the Laura,” he smiles. The reason is that he doesn’t really want to deal with the stress and angst that are par for the course in traffic and pothole-ridden Mumbai.
But Abhijeet says that he’d love to drive it to Pune or Sindhudurg on the Goa road, both of which he plans to do quite often.
As expected, the accessory he is very particular about is his sound system. So, what kind of music resides in his car? “I like all kinds of Indian music, and what I hear depends on my mood. When I’m upbeat I put on some Indipop and when I’m in a mellow mood, I listen to ghazals or Indian classical music.”
Fair enough, but what will he add to his garage as he scales greater heights? “A Lexus SUV,” says Sawant, without a moment’s hesitation. “I love its commanding stance and the image it projects.”
And what about speed? “I love driving fast and I’m quite quick on the Expressway, but a sportscar would be quite impractical for our roads.”
As with most boys his age, he is a Formula One freak and belongs to that staunch minority who have stuck with McLaren since the Mika Hakkinen days.
Abhijeet says that he’s waiting for a chance to watch F1 live. Going by the offers he’s been getting, there’s little doubt that the lad will soon be able to afford F1 season tickets.