 |
| "If
you want to save India, you have to promote CNG as fuel for
vehicles." |
|
He is no match
for screen hero Mamooty in the south, nor is he a Hrithik Roshan
lookalike, yet this short, plumpish turbaned hero has to his
credit the distinction of setting the music charts afire all
over the country. His music sends millions into a frenzy, spurred
by the drumbeats of rural Punjab.
His pride and joy is his Prado, a bright red beast with a 2.9-litre powerplant
large enough to get to 100kph in 14sec and on to a maximum of 170kph. The
burly gun-toting Punjab policemen flanking him as he marched out to it elevated
his status to that of a politician. But as soon as he got into the driver’s
seat, the illusion was shattered - this is a man who can’t be doing
with the services of a driver and loves to get behind the wheel of his car
at every opportunity. Even when he’s just returned from a marathon
tour of North America and England, promoting his latest album Ek Dana.
What strikes you most about Daler is his down-to-earth nature. No celebrity
tantrums here and he talks freely about his passions and fears. Although
he loves the Prado, he wants the ultimate American status symbol, the Hummer,
just like Jackie Shroff .
“I love my Prado but I am thinking of buying a Hummer in a few months.
These are the only two vehicles I love to drive,” he almost sang. He
has driven the Prado at nearly 170kph on the highway but makes sure he drives
much more sedately in the city.
D
aler loves to drive, despite his celebrity status and hundreds of crazy
fans never far behind. “Whenever I have to go to Punjab or Rajasthan
I drive,” he admitted. Driving has been his passion and he’s had
a go at some of the best machines.
“I went to America in 1986 when I was in my teens but kept coming back
to India to pursue my singing career. In the US, where my brother had a
cab company and 16 cars, I have driven Chevrolets, a Mustang, Lincolns and
Cadillacs,” said Daler. But
when fame and money embraced him in India, the Prado was his choice of
wheels. “I chose the Prado, with its good ground clearance, because
of the road conditions here, the large number of speed-breakers and poor
discipline on the part of the majority of road users. Many a time it’s
been hit by small cars on Delhi roads but I feel completely safe,”
he said.
He recalls an incident that occurred on his return to India in 1992. “I
was driving a Maruti 800 when three people suddenly crossed the road in
front of me. They panicked, turned back and in the melee my car injured
one man. Like a responsible citizen, I took him to hospital and informed
the police. But to my surprise, the man I helped filed a suit against
me. I had to make the rounds of the court for nearly three years,”
Daler recalled.
But he still has a fondness for India. “I sometimes wonder why I
love India so much, despite the chaos. Possibly because of its rich culture.
And the last 10 years have seen India change for the better,” Daler
noted.
H
|
is observations
on road rage in Delhi almost made me jump from my seat. While psychiatrists
have blamed road rage on the increasing stress and strain in life, Daler
says it is because there are far too many Punjabis in the capital. A strange
comment coming from a Punjabi but he’s adamant that Punjabis are a
tough lot to understand. “It isn’t the stress, it is the heat.
I admire the bus drivers who drive rotten buses in the heat and sometimes
I wonder how they drive,” quipped Daler.
As for old vehicles, Daler has one solution - just chuck them out. “Although
people complain there is no money, everyone seems to be wealthy. If you
want to save India, you need to promote compressed natural gas (CNG) as
fuel for vehicles. And vehicles should be got rid of after 10 years,”
the singer added.
Other recommendations from the Punjabi pop music star include listening
to good music (possibly Ek Dana!) while driving and using dark window
glass on cars during the summer months to ward off the heat. |
December 2000