Reel life Stuntman.
I was on a call when I got into the auto. As soon as I got inside, It was as though I had entered a photo studio. Every inch of the auto was stuck with newspaper articles and photographs of a man with leading Kannada actors. "Naave ree adu (Thats me)", he said to me while I kept gawking at the photographs.
"Oh, neevu filmstar-a?" (Are you a filmstar)
"Hange tilkolli, naavu stuntman. Nammanna preetiaagi, Auto Ramanna, fighter Bellary anta heltaare. Sudeepu, annavru, yellar jothe li kelsa madidivi" (You can consider that. I am a stuntman. With love they call me Auto Ramanna, fighter Bellary. I have worked with Sudeep and Anna sir)
"Hangaare yenakk ee auto vodsodu" (Then why do you drive this auto?)
"Madam, hotte ge, samsara nodkobek alwa. Stunt inda asht sambla yen baralla" (Madam, for my stomach. I have to take care of my family. Doing stunts does not fetch me enough money)
Then he went on explaining to me how the stunts work, who all he works with, how many movies he's worked in. And then he said "Madam ondu dialogue heltini, keli" (Madam I will tell a dialogue, listen to me)
The Kannada dialogue was as big as a lecture! But he made no mistakes, and happily recited it off. He mentioned all the noted Kannada personalities and said he's met them all. He said "Madam Tv nallu kuda bandidini, nimm internet nallu idini, nodi" (Madam, I have come on TV, I am there on your internet also). He said he goes to the gym early morning to keep himself fit. Then he told me about his daughter who was doing very well at school. The entire auto journey seemed to get over in seconds. While getting off, he said "Nann movies nodta iri madam" (Keep seeing my movies madam).
Unfortunately, I did not find him on "my internet". Next time I board an auto, I will look out for our very own "Auto Ramanna, fighter Bellary".
Real life Stuntman.
This was the second day my vehicle was sitting at the Service center. I was late and I was not getting an auto. Finally an auto guy agreed to come. He started the meter and as soon as he switched on the ignition, a cab behind us started honking. The auto guy smiled and accelerated. I was surprised at him. Usually auto drivers are not that patient. The driver suddenly said, "Yen madodu madam, avarigu timelimits iratte. avara boss avara tale male koothkond irtaare. naanu ond kalakke call centre driver aagidde. Katte thara kelsa madastaare." (What to do madam, even they have timelimits. Their boss will be sitting on their heads. Even I was a call centre driver at one point. They make you work like donkeys)
"Oh", I said.
"Yaararu driver raja togondre, namm mele duty haakbidtaare. Double shifts madbekagatte. Extra duddu antu sigod kaane. Sambla togolodu ondu dodda golu. Manager galu namma boss ge namma salary credit madataare, but ee baddi maga namage namma duddu kodakke saytaane." (If any driver takes an off, they put the duty on us. We'll have to do double shifts. They never give us extra money. It is a pain to take our own salary from them. The managers would have credited our salaries to our bosses, but this ***** doesn't give us."
"Complain madalva?" (Don't you complain?)
"Yarag madam complain madodu? namm salary iskollakke naav namm boss ge ondu bottle henda kodbeku athva kudasak karkond hogbeku. Sareeg itkobeku ee boss galanna, illa andre yaav yaavdo route ge haak bidtaare." (Who should we complain to Madam? To get our own salaries, we have to give them one bottle liquor or take them to a bar. We need to keep them in good terms, else they will assign us to some unknown route.)
"Oh", was all I managed again.
"Nan hendti nannanna bitt hodlu. Yeshtu anta paapa avalu kaytaale. Bellige inda sanje avala ganda manege bardene hodre, yeshtu anta kaytaale. Driver andre maryaade ne illa madam. Hudgi sigodu kashta. Yen kelsa anta keltaare, driver andre, ayyo howda sari nodona anbidtaare. Adikke naanu aa kelsa bittu, auto business shuru madide. Madam ille nillisla?" (My wife left me and went away. For how long will that poor female wait? From morning till evening if her husband doesn't come home at all, how much will she wait. There is no respect for drivers madam. It is difficult to get brides. They ask us what our job us, if we say driver, they say, oh is it, ok then lets see. That is why I left that job and started my own auto business. Shall I stop here madam?"
"Yenu?" (What?)
"Ide alwa nimm office?" (This is your office, right?)
"Hoon, hoon, Thanks". (Yes, yes, Thanks)
"Ok madam, khushiyaag iri, bartini eega" (Ok madam, be happy, I will go now)
He drove away and I kept standing there with a million thoughts in my head.
