We are about a 100km out of Mumbai city but it seems a whole world away. The road is a jet-black strip of asphalt twisting its way through a tunnel of green and the air is still. The birds’ chirping is suddenly drowned out by a menacing growl as a speck of Nero Noctis black enters the frame. The orchestra of Lamborghini’s V10 mechanicals rises to a crescendo as the LP550-2 flashes past. Behind the wheel of this raging bull, whooping with glee, is an excited little boy the world knows as John Abraham. Yes, John has a new toy in his garage and he invited Autocar India along for a ride.
In this shoot, there is no air-conditioned vanity van or a man Friday following him with an umbrella to protect him from the sun. Instead, embarrassingly, we don’t even have a glass of cold water to offer him while he poses for our cameras in the sweltering heat. He has no starry airs, no demands – John’s just a normal guy who doesn’t flaunt his stardom. In fact, it’s hard to believe that this man is a mega Bollywood star.
