Cabbie khushi, cabbie glum!

The recently phased-out Mumbai black-and-yellow Premier Padmini taxis evoke fond memories, nostalgia and mirth among the city’s cricketing fraternity. Cab journeys could be sad too

An outpouring of emotion has followed the recent phasing out of the Premier Padmini taxis in Mumbai. This symbol of the city has touched many hearts, to which the world of cricket is not impervious. Over the years, several cricketers and cricket lovers—some illustrious and others unknown—have used these iconic black-and-yellow Fiat cabs to commute for matches, or to return home from tours.

These journeys have lent themselves to memorable conversations, interesting anecdotes, and even film roles, as you will discover later in this piece.

Right in front of me is a mid-day clipping of then captain Mohammed Azharuddin talking about India’s failure in the four-nation Centenary Series, held in New Zealand in early 1995. It also has a photograph of Sachin Tendulkar ensuring his luggage is appropriately placed in the boot of a black-and-yellow cab.

Even international cricketers have used the humble kaali-peeli. Like West Indies all-rounder Carl Hooper in the 1990s. Anil Joshi, a well-known name in Mumbai cricket circles, who used to assist visiting and home teams at the Wankhede Stadium, recalled Hooper hailing a taxi from the team hotel, arriving at the Polly Umrigar Gate, and then instructing the man behind the wheel to drive straight in front of the gates of the old players enclosure, where he got off. Hooper asked the taxi driver to wait, ran 30 rounds of the Wankhede Stadium, and then returned to his hotel in the same cab.

Less than a decade earlier, India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani was lodged with the rest of his teammates at the Garware Club House while the team for the four-Test series and 1979 World Cup in England was to be picked. Kirmani told chat show host Karan Thapar, many years later, how, while he was stepping out for an evening engagement, his Karnataka teammate Gundappa Vishwanath broke the news to him that he was not in the team to tour England.

Kirmani was dealt a mighty blow, but Vishwanath had tears in his eyes as he relayed the news to Kirmani.

The stunned stumper hailed a cab and asked him to drive on without telling him where he wanted to go. When the driver insisted on a destination, he was told to just keep driving without bothering about the fare. The nonplussed driver did just that, and got Kirmani back to the Wankhede Stadium after around half an hour. It cost Kirmani Rs 250. Presumably, the driver of Kirmani’s cab was not as talkative as the one Sandeep Patil encountered while on his way to his Shivaji Park home in 2007. The Indian team had just crashed out of the World Cup in the Caribbean, and the nation was in the throes of despair over the World Cup ouster. The driver discovered that Patil was involved with cricket in a way and started spewing venom on the Indian team and set up. Patil even felt like getting off and hailing another cab, but patience won.

Patil told me on Monday that he and actor Raj Babbar were amongst the first to buy the Padmini with floor gears.

Like all brands, Fiats evolved. The black-and-yellow cabs were a bit differently modelled in the 1960s, and former Mumbai player Vilas Godbole came up with an anecdote from that era. He recalled: “There was a player in the 1960s who, after falling on hard times, starting driving a taxi. Once, Ajit Wadekar got into his taxi. He recognised Ajit but not vice versa, as the driver was wearing a cap. The club cricketer started criticising the Indian team left, right and centre, and just when Ajit was about to express his ire, the cricketer turned around, took off his cap and told Ajit that he was only joking.” While they were delighted to meet each other, one cannot escape the sad undertone to the story. This was the same cricketer who had come forward to salvage an outstation tournament featuring young Mumbai cricketers in terms of sponsorship, and here he was driving a cab.

There is no shame in driving a taxi, but having to do so after owning a company like that cricketer did, does prove that life’s roads can get difficult.

Talking of roads, there were always Padmini cabs waiting down the road to pick up late actor and sports buff Tom Alter from his central Mumbai dwelling.

Apart from his film shooting assignments, Alter travelled to grounds all over the city to play his much-loved cricket games. Despite being a famous personality, Alter didn’t feel the need to own a car. His son Jamie told me on Tuesday that his father didn’t find owning a car practical. He didn’t lap up the comfort of air conditioners, and using taxis meant he had no stress of driving.

An unfamiliar taxi driver couldn’t just jump the so-called queue to drive Alter to his set and, at times, when the film needed a taxi and a driver for a shot, they could always call upon the man who had driven Alter.

Like Alter, former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi had black-and-yellow Premier cabs waiting to take him to the Wankhede Stadium from his Warden Road residence, for either a game or a practice session. According to Hattangadi, the drivers even followed his progress. But the more vivid memory about the Premier Padmini for Hattangadi is about him and Ravi Shastri as teenagers, sitting on the bonnet of their future Tata Sports Club senior Milind Rege’s car, to watch a Tata v State Bank of India inter-office game at Islam Gymkhana. At tea time, they were asked by Rege if that car belonged to them. 

“I know how Milind must have felt then because I later learnt how he would react to even a tiny scratch on his car,” Hattangadi told me.

As it is, our anecdotes barely scratch the surface when it comes to the bond between the black-and-yellow taxi and its loyal patrons. For this city icon, the end of the road is paved with memories.

mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!