‘I got the interiors re-done in a lion-skin print’

Actor Jaggesh, on his mixed experiences with cars and bikes, and why he’ll never use a bike for his family

Karnataka : Bengaluru : 27/07/2018 : Actor Jaggesh during an interaction with The Hindu in Bengaluru on July 27, 2018. Photo : V Sreenivasa Murthy

My father had a beautiful ambassador; I still remember the number — MYQ 822. We bought it in 1970 and he took my mother and me on a trip around south India. My younger brother, Komal, was not yet born. We also had a Malayalee driver named Raju. I would beg him to teach me driving and he would always respond with, ‘Your father will throw me out of this job’, as I was barely eight years old.

When I came into cinema, I had a Bullet. I still have it — a 1956 make. One day, I was taking my wife out. She was wearing a nylon sari and holding my first-born son Gururaj, who was still a toddler, and riding pillion. I still remember, I braked hard at a turning and they both fell off. My wife held on to our son in such a way that he was safe but she was injured. They just missed being run over by a vehicle from behind. I was numbed with shock as my cousin’s wife too had fallen off his bike at the same point and a bus had run over her. She died.

That very day, I decided I would not touch a bike ever with my family. Those days I was paid very little — ₹5,000 or ₹6,000 per film. I requested a cousin of mine to help me buy a cheap car. We thought a Herald, priced between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 would be ideal. But, as it would be expensive to maintain, we zeroed in on a Bug Fiat. We started looking around and finally found an elderly couple, who were selling it for ₹20,000. They said that it was an antique piece and a single-owner car. Though it was way beyond my budget, I bought it and drove my wife and kids around only in the car.

Soon, I was given a small role in a film produced by BN Gangadhar with Shashi Kumar as the hero. When we had a première show, the producer asked me to bring my car, as I too had to pick people up.

They sent all the artistes in huge cars and finally treated my car like a tea kettle and put all the production boys in it. One seat was left and they put Hamsalekha too in my car. I had to refuel my car and started driving to a petrol bunk. Hamsalekha asked, “What car is this? It runs like a kerosene vehicle.” I was hurt and immediately decided to change the car. I sold this car to a press reporter, who had liked it.

Next, when producer KCN Kumar wanted to cast me as the second lead in his film,

Police File , I requested him to buy me a car instead of giving me cash. He agreed and gave ₹52,000 as the down payment. The rest, I cleared later. The very next day, a Maruti 800 was standing at my door. The number was 2132. I got the interiors re-done in a lion-skin print, put in a great sound system and redesigned the vehicle beautifully. Those days, if one had this car, he was considered rich.

Everyone appreciated the car and would surround it. My car journey started from there and today I own a BMW.

As told to Shilpa Sebastian R