Rolls Royce Phantom. Image: Samoborac
Luxury cars are often popular among the richest people in the world, but Bollywood stars seem to have a particular steamy love affair with them.
Unsurprisingly, an exotic lifestyle is important to a lot of Indian film stars and luxury cars go hand-in-hand with this approach to life. What better way to enjoy wealth than with a beautiful set of wheels that gives you all the luxury and freedom you can afford?
But the Bollywood approach to enjoying money is a little different to that seen in the West, so we’re dedicating this Billionaires article purely to the supercars of Bollywood, and of course their talented owners!
One of the best known Bollywood stars is Sanjay Dutt, who has a car collection as large as his fanbase. Dutt’s prized possession is his red Ferrari 599 GTB and he also has a Porsche SUV, as well as models from across the Audi R8, Audi Q7 and BMW 7 series.
Dutt has even been known to splash the cash on cars as gifts and he famously once bought a Rolls Royce Ghost for his wife Manyata after she gave birth to twins.
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai star Ajay Devgan is another of the well known Indian film actors to have ploughed their money into luxury cars. Devgan has a BMW Z4 convertable, as well as cars made by manufacturers such as Maserati, Ferrari and Mercedes.
This video shows some of the top Bollywood stars and their choice of exciting cars.
It is not just the male Bollywood actors who like to buy luxury cars with their hard-earned money though; Shraddha Kapoor is currently one of the most popular actresses in Bollywood and she has been making the most of her growing fame and fortune by investing in new cars.
Kapoor bought a smart black SUV for her first car as she previously drove her father’s car. Kapoor is certainly a star to keep an eye on in the future and we at Billionaires look forward to seeing what she’ll invest in next.
Priyanka Chopra has also been making the most of her money by purchasing cars and she opted for a new Rolls Royce, which she showed off for the first time at the Filmfare awards this year. Chopra reportedly had a number of changes made to the car to personalise it before taking delivery of it.
Rani Mukherjee is another famous face from Bollywood to have bought a luxury car and her drive of choice is a Mercedes Benz E-class, which is truly one of the best models on the market.
Finally, Katrina Kaif has often spoken about her passion for Formula One and she has indulged her passion for driving with the purchase of a luxury SUV Audi Q7.
Porsche Panamera. Image: Rudolf Simon
So what it is about luxury cars that catches the eye of Bollywood stars so much?
The natural affinity for style and luxury that goes with fame the world over will of course be a big factor. But the country of India itself could also be an influence: such a vast and hectic country can be difficult to navigate without personal transport and for these stars, who are always dashing to their next film shoot or media appointment, a peaceful and enjoyable form of transport is a must.
This would also explain why the majority of stars tend to go for large comfortable cars, such as a Rolls Royce or Audi, rather than faster performance breeds. In fact, these two brands in particular are completely synonymous with comfort and they are at the peak of the luxury car industry, so it is no surprise cars like the Ghost and the Q7 are at the top of the shopping list for many Bollywood performers. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is a particular fan of Rolls Royce and he owns the prestigious Phantom model.
The attraction of luxury cars to Bollywood performers is also to do with wealth, of course. Why work hard to earn a lot of money if you’re not going to treat yourself to a major purchase such as a new car every now and then? For a lot of Bollywood actors, a new car will be their reward after spending months on a film set.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Image: Sovxx
Having a luxury car that identifies you is important to a lot of Bollywood stars, so personalisation is key and a lot of the industry’s actors like to seek out unique purchases too.
One of them is Sunil Shetty, who is almost as well known for his love of cars as he is for his performances on the big screen. The list of cars Shetty owns is a long one but perhaps his most memorable purchase was when he splashed out a large amount of money on a civilian version of the Hummer H3 that was used by the US military.
Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na star Imran Khan is also keen on personalisation and he has a red Ferrari that is tailored to his precise list of preferences.
John Abraham
John Abraham is one of the hottest stars in Bollywood today and the list of cars he owns is perhaps even more impressive than the films he has worked in.
The actor, producer and model has a love for cars towards the sportier end of the luxury spectrum and one of the most stunning cars he has is a black Gallardo LP 550-2 Lamborghini, which he showed off to the press and the public when he took it for his first ride with filmmaker Karan Johar.
Abraham has an Audi Q7 of course – who doesn’t? – and like many other top Bollywood stars he is also keen on bikes, with a Yamaha R1 superbike noted as one of his favourite rides.
Audi Q-7 Image: M 93
Back to the Audi Q7 quickly, we should note it really is one of the most popular luxury cars in India and it is also a common choice for a lot of the country’s major Bollywood stars. In fact, Salman Khan was given a free Audi Q7 after the car featured extensively in his film Bodyguard, one of the biggest Bollywood hits in recent years.
Khan is one of the breakout stars of the Bollywood film scene and he has a car collection that matches any other actor from the industry.
As well as his gifted Audi Q7, Khan has a silver gray BMW X6 and a Range Rover Vogue, along with another SUV and an Audi R8. He is also a big fan of bikes and he has a limited edition blue Suzuki Intruder M1800RZ as part of his two-wheel collection.
Bollywood’s cars are all just as exciting as their owners, but Billionaires is looking forward to the evolution of these stars’ garages when it comes to making their next purchases. Great though the Q7 is, we hope to see a little bit more variety on India’s roads as the braver actors start to branch away from the trusty Audi and other such similar choices. One thing is for sure though, Bollywood’s love of cars is only going to grow.
