Here's A Sneak Peek Into The Plush Vanity Vans Of Popular Bollywood Stars!

Elaborate bars, state-of-the-art entertainment systems, well-equipped gyms, luxurious restrooms — do these sound like features of a five-star hotel? Well, you’d find all of this and more in the vanity vans of Bollywood stars. Actors such as Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, and Amitabh Bachchan own vanity vans with magnificent interiors, and these vehicles are an important part of their professional life, as they travel to shoot locations and outstation events in these vanity vans. This is also where they relax between shots, and meet journalists. Therefore, a star’s vanity van is almost a home away from home.

The late Vinod Khanna, who died on April 27 this year, was the first Bollywood star to own a vanity van. Before that, film actors used to rest and retouch their makeup between shots sitting under huge garden umbrellas.

In the third instalment of our on-going Celebrity Lifestyle Series, let us take a look at some of the most expensive vanity vans owned by Bollywood stars and the first-class features and facilities with which they are equipped.

Shah Rukh Khan

Actor Shah Rukh Khan believes in living life king size and a look inside his 14-metre-long Volvo 9 BR is nothing short of a jaw-dropping experience. King Khan’s vanity van is a perfect designed combination of living space, workstation, entertainment system, bedroom, gymnasium, and restroom. What’s unique about Shah Rukh Khan’s vanity van is a first-in-India concept: a hydraulic system that pushes out the living space to double the floor space when the vehicle is stationary. High on entertainment quotient, the vanity van has two 52-inch screens, with their exclusive home theatre systems, and a full range of gaming stations. The interiors are pretty simple yet futuristic and finished in tones of warm and cool greys.

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Sanjay Dutt

Actor Sanjay Dutt paid the hefty sum of approximately Rs 3 crore for his 12-metre-long Volvo B7R. The interiors have an asymmetric design, with an office lounge in the front section. At the centre, there is a bar with a refrigerator, espresso tables and chairs. The U-shaped sofa at the rear adds to the beauty of the vanity van, which has touchscreen-controlled lighting facility. There are also two 52-inch screens with audio video facilities, a gaming console, and computers.

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Ajay Devgn

Working out and staying in shape remains the top priority for actor Ajay Devgn,which is why his vanity van has one of the best mobile gyms one can think of. Apparently, Ajay used to work out regularly in his van while shooting for Singham Returns (2014) and didn’t skip his routine for a single day. The van has different weight machines, and the actor is known to work out even between shots. Besides this, the swanky van includes an office, a room, a restroom, and a kitchen.

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Hrithik Roshan

Known for being tech savvy, actor Hrithik Roshan’s vanity van is a perfect mean machine anyone can ask for. With high-tech interiors mainly wooden and glass, in white and black texture, and clubbed with blue lighting, Hrithik’s van has a futuristic feel to it. The USP of the 12-meter-long van is the twin make-up section with electrically actuated mirrors, which turn at 280 degree angle. Neatly separated in three parts — front section being an office and a lounge with 52 inch LCD screen, a bedroom in the middle with 42 inch LCD screen, and a toilet area at the rear, the vanity van offers a perfect blend of meeting space and leisure zone.

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Vivek Oberoi

According to car designer Dilip Chhabria, who has designed vanity vans for quite a few Bollywood stars, actor Vivek Oberoi wanted a rock star appeal for his van. Therefore, his van has bright colours and vibrant lighting. The 10.5-metre-long vehicle has multi-level flooring. There is a revolving massage chair, guest lounge, and a makeup area in the front section of the vehicle and a large bed in the centre.The van has a fully functional Jacuzzi and a vacuum toilet system, too.

Amitabh Bachchan

The concept of a vanity van was introduced to veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan by filmmaker Manmohan Desai. Big B, who has been using the same van for years now, looks for basic functionalities in his van, sans anything too fancy. Apart from regular items such as a refrigerator and a television, his vanity van has a big wardrobe. Once his looks for a certain sequence in a film are decided, Bachchan prefers to keep those clothes with him in his vanity van.

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Sonam Kapoor

How can Sonam Kapoor’s van be any less stylish than the actor? With beige-coloured furniture and elegant couches, her van is quipped with all the latest amenities, including a flat screen and LED lights that make for a perfect party setup. As part of the tastefully done interiors, Sonam also has a formal sit down table arrangement for her meetings.

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Salman Khan

Actor Salman Khan’s vanity van aptly gives you a larger-than-life experience. Salman owns a luxurious vanity van, complete with a plush bathroom, entertainment system, and a stylised portrait of himself on the wall above the bed. A major section of the van is occupied by a spacious meeting room, which has a door from where Salman — and even his cars — can come in and out with the help of a portable ramp.

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Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

With a subtle combination of white walls and brown curtains, actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s vanity van exudes elegance. While multi-coloured cushions rest beautifully on the sofa, adding a tinge of colour to the interiors, one wall holds a perfect family portrait of Ash with husband Abhishek and daughter Aaradhya. The actor’s vanity van is equipped with basic amenities such as a mini refrigerator in the corner and a flat screen near the entrance.

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Akshay Kumar

For actor Akshay Kumar, comfort comes first — that remains the chief feature he has always wanted in his vanity van. In 2015, while shooting for the film Singh Is Bliing in Romania, Akshay got a custom-made van, as he was not happy with the one provided to him. “The new van [that was made in Bulgaria] has a massage chair, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a huge dining area,” a source was quoted as saying at the time.

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Ranbir Kapoor

Even though Ranbir Kapoor’s vanity van is pretty simple with grey interiors, the retro film posters inside reflect his love for films and his colourful personality. As for the interiors, decor and furniture, there’s a comfortable sofa in white base, decked up with colourful cushions in vibrant hues. To unwind after a hectic day of shooting, Ranbir also got a music system in his vanity van, and one can spot a stack of novels spread across his table.

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Arjun Kapoor

Actor Arjun Kapoor is a big fan of Karz director Subhash Ghai, and the interiors of his vanity van are pretty much a testimony to his admiration for the filmmaker. Arjun has put up posters of many of Ghai’s films on the walls of the vanity van. Reportedly, the actor doesn’t like to flaunt how spacious his van is, since he feels it’s his “personal space”.

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Riteish Deshmukh

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, who has a background in architecture, was apparently intensely involved in deciding the layout as well as the general ambience and styling of his steel grey, 9-metre-long vanity van. The interiors are simple yet classy, and the whole decor is centred around the ‘captain’s chair’ from where the entire van can be viewed. The restroom, with a vaccum toilet system, is located in the front of the van. There is a 42-inch LCD screen, audio-video equipment, and beautiful colour-changing lighting.

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Deepika Padukone

Actor Deepika Padukone’s vanity van is custom-made. The interiors are in pastel colours to give it a fresh and feminine touch. According to sources, Deepika is not very demanding when it comes to features and facilities in her vanity van. The only thing that she likes to have in her van is a pack of aromatherapy candles, as they help her relax.

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Anil Kapoor

Actor Anil Kapoor’s vanity van was considered to be one of the poshest at one point of time. And in 2009, it was believed to be the most expensive van a star owned, reportedly costing Rs 1.91 crore. The 13-metre-long van took 135 days to be made. It was designed by leading car designer Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonny Chhabria. The interiors are done in mahogany wood and the original upholstery was beige and ivory. The van houses an office space, makeup lounge, and an LED mirror that runs from the floor almost to the ceiling of the vehicle, and there is a sofa-cum-bed placed across it. The van also has two restrooms, one for guests and the other for the actor.

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Kapil Sharma

Actor and comedian Kapil Sharma is very particular about his private space, and he likes to spend most of his time inside his matt silver vanity van, when he is not shooting or preparing for his television show. Kapil prefers taking his meals inside his vanity van and, according to reports, only those who are really close to Kapil are allowed to enter his vanity van. He got the vanity van in 2014 and has shared pictures on Facebook. From the look of it, the van appears to be quite spacious and well decorated.

Input courtesy: Dilip Chhabria of DC Design (for Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Riteish Deshmukh, and Vivek Oberoi)