Bollywood Stars homes on wheels
The automobile style guru Dilip Chhabria, or DC as he is commonly addressed, has been giving cars a makeover for over two decades.
His designs sometimes overwhelm people, put them in awe, and at times turn out to be too artistic for their taste.
He has designed automobiles not just for big car manufacturers; he has customised cars for many wealthy Indians and celebrities. Some of them include Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, and Ritesh Deshmukh.
These buses and vans are second home to many celebrities, who spend considerable amount of time on different shooting locations.
Let’s take a tour of customised buses and vanity vans of celebrities that DC has customised.
Shahrukh Khan’s Bus
The custom designed bus from DC is well equipped to handle the needs and requirements of its star owner.
Shahrukh can relax in the luxury seats, get his make-up done, take a hot shower, watch TV, hold meetings, and even sleep inside the bus.
For the fitness freak that Khan is, the bus comes equipped with a small gym for the star to work out whenever he wishes.
The bus is probably the longest compared to other star vehicles in Bollywood and measure around 14 metres long.
Since a such a long vehicle can't be navigated easily, DC Design has used a hydraulic system that reduce the size of the bus when in motion, and can be expanded to its full length when stationary.
Most the things inside the bus can be further customised. For example, it has lights that can be changed according to the star’s mood. If he is in a party mood, the lights change accordingly and if he wishes to relax, they turn soothing.
The coach has five rooms, including a bar and a meeting room. DC has customised a Volvo bus, which is now a preferred vehicle for most stars. Salman Khan’s mega bus
Salman Khan’s vehicle is as plush and feature rich as Shahrukh's.
The luxurious van speaks volume of the superstar’s taste who is known to be larger than life.
The make up section of the car also doubles up as the Salman’s study room. He reads scripts and rehearses in this part of the bus.
The van comes equipped with a bed and all other features that the superstar would need when on the road.
Seen in the photo is the toilet and shower of the bus.
Just like other celebrity vans, Salman’s vehicle, too, has the provision to change lights according to his mood.
Here is the star’s make up and study room.
The bus has all the amenities you can possibly imagine from a comfortable couch, a cosy bed, bright lights, TV, music system and shining wooden interiors with a beige-colour contrast.
An image of the star adorns one of the walls in the make-up section of the bus.
Sanjay Dutt’s Bus
Sanjay Dutt’s home on wheels is 12-metre long and is designed on a Volvo, too. The exterior of the bus is given a menacing and aggressive look.
The interior of the van is inspired from US President’s Air Force One.
It houses an office lounge, a well-stocked bar with stools that slide out at the touch of a button, and plush sofas. There are two TV screens measuring 42 & 52 inches.
All components of the bus are hydraulic including the bar and chairs. Like all star buses, this one too comes equipped with a shower and a toilet.
Dilip Chhabria took almost nine months to make the vehicle and the cost was about Rs 3 crore, according to media reports. Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan has a 12-metre bus. In the front section, it has an office and a grand lounge.
Among many features, the vehicle comes equipped with a bed, shower and a toilet. The bedroom also has a 42-inch LCD.
The interiors of the van are done up in wood and glass, which makes the bus look futuristic, classy as well as spacious.
Hrithik chose the classic black and white colour scheme for the interiors. In fact, the wooden flooring is actually made up of white cedar.
The van also has a 52-inch LCD TV in the lounge, as seen in the picture behind the chairs. Ritesh Deshmukh
Ritesh was among the first few celebrities who got his own custom van designed by Dilip Chhabria.
Ritesh Deshmukh, an architect himself, has preferred to keep his van basic and simple.
The interiors are done up in white and grey. And, it has a red couch.
The van has an option to change the lights depending on the stars mood. Vivek Oberoi’s Bus
Boasts of vibrant red and steel grey interiors, the bus houses a revolving massage chair, a guest lounge and make-up section.
It also has a large bed and probably the most swanky bathroom, compared to other celebrity buses, that has a jacuzzi and a vacuum toilet. According to media reports, the star has spent about Rs 1.5 crore this machine.