Veteran film producer and actor Viveck Vaswani, a big votary of public transport, often shares his view on the ways of the world on Twitter. A few days ago he had posted a story about a man buying him his bus ticket, taken aback to see a celebrity use public transport. “I made a new friend today,” said Vaswani in his post. A couple of days later, he posted a picture of himself travelling in an air conditioned local train and stated he had just bought a three-month pass for ₹3000 “for unlimited travel between Churchgate and Andheri”. Vaswani is not new to public transport, especially given the ease of travel on trains and buses today. He told HT why he has preferred public transport to using his own car.
I have been using public transport for many years. It was not any epiphanic moment that led me to this decision. If I do not use public transport, my friends’ grandchildren will not have water to drink.
One does not need to read copious amounts of literature on climate change and science journals to know that the world is standing on the precipice of doom because of the way we have chosen to live. It is up to us to take corrective measures. My friends laugh about my commitment to public transport. They wonder why I choose to do this, despite having a car and a driver.
I live in Cuffe Parade (I have lived here for over 40 years) and travel to Andheri and beyond for work. It is a long travel and I refuse to vegetate sitting in a stationary vehicle caught in traffic jams. It would take over two hours from Cuffe Parade to Andheri by road, given the insane traffic. It is sheer waste of time. I like being on the move constantly – local trains and public buses allow me to do that.
I take the train from Churchgate to Andheri and use buses to connect to my places of work and home. I take the AC bus from Churchgate these days. Among other things, I have been teaching at the School of Contemporary Media, in Pearl Academy for the last three years, which is in Andheri.
Back in the day when Shah Rukh Khan used to stay with us before breaking onto the film industry, he used to travel by buses as well. He can’t do that anymore because he will be mobbed. I have produced 15 films, three TV shows and acted in over 60 films too. I just wear a cap to shield my face and am good to go.
I had once asked my mother if we should move to Andheri, to which she said, “Andheri does not exist.” (Obviously a joke but there was little to say beyond the punchline.) That was the end of the conversation.
With AC trains and buses available to us today, using local transport is not oppressive either. The feeder routes between railway stations are air conditioned for people to walk in comfort. Those who do not have access to that should simply walk and get some exercise in the process. I have lost 20 kilos simply by walking.
I am saving the environment and saving myself. All the money I save by taking the public transport goes into charity – for education and clothes of kids of my domestic staff.
I am very happy with AC buses, trains and the metro. Imagine if I had a Merc, I would have spent sleepless nights worrying about it getting a scratch while one the run. Using public transport is liberating.
(Viveck Vaswani has mentored talent in the film industry for four decades. After being the Dean of the School of Contemporary Media and Pearl Academy for the last three years, he is now Distinguished Faculty at the School of Modern Media, UPES, in Doon.)