Veteran actress Vandana Gupte shared a lighthearted childhood memory involving Sharmila Thackeray to drive an Ambassador car in a Mumbai housing society before a police officer whistled at them during an impromptu street-level lesson.
Early Driving Lessons in Makarand Society
Long before prominent public lives took shape, Vandana Gupte maintained close ties with the family of late theatrical producer Mohan Wagh. The two households lived near each other within the same residential neighborhood, creating a familiarity that spanned generations. Gupte recalled watching Sharmila grow up from infancy, setting the stage for an informal driving lesson that began on a whim.
Mohan Wagh and we lived together, in the same society. Therefore, since childhood, we used to visit the Wagh family’s house. The house was right in front, so our relationship was good. I have known Sharmila since she was a baby. I even taught her how to drive a car. Vandana Gupte, Actress, via Maharashtratimes
The impromptu lesson started when the young teenager approached the actress with a direct request to take the wheel. Gupte agreed, leading their Ambassador vehicle out of Makarand Society to practice basic vehicle controls under neighborhood conditions.
Sharmila said to me, ‘Come on, Vandutai, I want to learn to drive, let’s take your car out, I can drive as much as I know.’ I said, ‘Come on, sit.’ We had an Ambassador car, we took it out of Makarand Society, made her sit, and told her, ‘This is the brake, this is the accelerator, this is the clutch,’ and back then there were no automatic cars, right? Vandana Gupte, Actress, via Maharashtratimes
A Sudden Police Encounter Near Ruparel
The driving session took an unexpected turn as the vehicle headed in the direction of Ruparel. A local police constable spotted the underage driver behind the wheel while instructions were being handed over from the passenger seat. Recognizing the impending trouble, the pair executed a quick mid-journey switch.
Sharmila was 13 years old or so. We saw him, and while the car was moving, she shifted this way and I sat there and started driving the car. We took the car ahead, then he blew the whistle. Vandana Gupte, Actress, via Maharashtratimes
The retrospective account forms part of a broader series of recollections shared by the veteran stage and screen actress, whose career spans notable Marathi cinematic hits such as the feature film Baipan Bhari Deva
alongside theatrical performances.
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