Upala KBR (DNA; May 28, 2014)

The humble autorickshaw is getting a cool image, thanks to Bollywood. Abhishek Bachchan made his entry in Dhoom 3 in an autorickshaw. An A-list actor in the driver’s seat of a ‘rick’ in a film which is about cars and bikes, should tell you that the three-wheeler is now cool. In Singham Returns, Kareena Kapoor will be seen driving an auto (as it is popularly called).

Although Naseeruddin Shah was cast as a rickshawala in Ketan Mehta’s Hero Hiralal more than 25 years ago, it is only now that it is becoming an integral part of our storytelling. Off-screen we have seen Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra, opting to ride in one to cut across traffic and escape enthusiastic fans.

Says a source from the sets of Singham Returns, “Kareena was spotted driving a rickshaw while on the sets of Singham Returns in Goa. The scene required her to arrive in one but in between shots, she was trying to drive it. They may use it in the film later.” Bebo says, “It was fun driving the auto rickshaw. I have never done this kind of thing before. I had a blast doing it!”