Fenil and Bollywood

Anil Kapoor can’t stop beaming thanks to his spanking new golden yellow vanity bus delivered to the Slumdog Millionaire actor two days ago. Anil’s prized possession is currently the talk of the film industry.

The 42-feet-long vanity bus with the registration plate MH-04 TRA 135 took a year to be made. Done up by leading car designer Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonny Chhabria, the interiors are done in mahogany wood with the upholstery being in shades of beige and ivory. The bus is made by the Tatas and has been assembled on an imported chassis.

The bus is primarily divided into an office space with ivory leather sofas. There is ample legroom and a designated office space for Anil’s secretary with computer monitors, laptops, a worktable, television and all the requisite amenities.

The inner room is a makeup-cum-lounge area that is the star’s private place. A huge LED mirror runs from the floor almost to the ceiling of the bus right across which stands a sofa-cum-bed. An additional moving chair can also be placed in this room should Anil wish to sit closer to the mirror.

There are two bathrooms in the bus; the one outside at the entrance of the office space specifically for visitors, while Anil’s own bathroom is more spacious and has a shower as well.

Dilip Chhabria says it took Bonny and him almost a year to design the bus because Anil was constantly in and out of the country post Slumdog Millionaire and he rejected the interior plans on a couple of occasions.

Shakti Kapoor, who was shooting with Anil for No Problem yesterday, said, “This is probably the most expensive bus standing at the studio right now. It reportedly costs Rs 2 crore.”

Neither Anil nor the Chhabrias were willing to reveal the actual amount that the bus cost but one hears that the final cost is Rs 1.91 crore.

Anil’s bus is said to be second to Shah Rukh Khan’s 50-feet-long bus that stands outside Mannat. That is built on a Volvo chassis and is reported to have cost SRK approximately Rs 3 crore.