Babul Supriyo ditches car in traffic jam, takes auto to airport

Mumbai, Sep 17 (IANS) Traffic jams in Mumbai are a regular affair during the monsoon and if you are on your way to catch a flight, things can get messy. The latest celebrity to get a taste of the truth is singer and minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Babul Supriyo.

On Tuesday afternoon, Supriyo's car got stuck in traffic while he was heading for the airport. However, instead of sitting and waiting in his car, the BJP leader was smart enough to take an auto-rickshaw -- the lifeline of thousands of Mumbaikars, and managed to reach the airport on time.

Not only did Supriyo take an auto-rickshaw to reach the airport, it seems like he thoroughly enjoyed his ride. He clicked a video on his mobile camera, and captioned it: "My official car is stuck in jam. I am using the opportunity to sit in an auto in Mumbai, reminiscing the past, the city where I struggled several times in an auto. It is a very nostalgic feeling and it is really making me feel very good."

Recalling his struggling days in Mumbai in the '90s when he was a budding singer, Supriyo said back then the 'meter down' for autos used to just four rupees.

Pointing his mobile camera towards the meter, he added: "Honestly I am still not sure what is the meter down. Whatever it is, I remember the first time I sat in an auto in Bombay, in 1992, the meter down was probably four rupees and then it went up to five."

He also sang the Kishore Kumar hit, "Main hoon ghoda, yeh hai gaadi, meri rickshaw sabse nirali" while enjoying his journey to the airport.

"I don't know what it is but I am thoroughly enjoying this auto ride and the song that comes to my mind is 'Main hoon ghoda, yeh hai gaadi, meri rickshaw sabse nirali'. Toh, happy rickshawying! It's a unique experience, trust me. A rickshaw in Mumbai is fantastic, actually. Thank you, bye bye," he concluded.