Actor Naresh recently gifted himself a caravan for his birthday, which he bought from Mumbai. The new caravan is apparently the best-in-class and one of the most lavish ones among those owned by South Indian actors.
“Wherever I travel for shooting, this caravan follows me and is stationed on the sets,” says Naresh, who goes on to share that caravans on the sets are badly maintained in terms of their washrooms, etc.).
“Getting a good one was very difficult and I realised I’ve spent most of my life in caravans given I keep shooting throughout the year. We spend so much on cars, but caravans are like home away from home. I spend 70% of my time in caravans, meeting people, holding office, reading scripts, getting makeup done, having a nap, eating, etc. So it’s a big deal. Whenever I get some free time I relax in the caravan; that saves me a lot of time,” he explains.
Naresh cooling his heels in the caravan
But what actually triggered Naresh’s purchase was COVID-19. “Using common caravans on the sets isn’t safe, keeping in mind the health and safety, especially during COVID-19 times,” he says, “Because if one actor falls sick, the entire shoot comes to a standstill.”
Customised to the T
Naresh’s vanity van has been tailored to his preferences, with everything he needs in it — it’s centrally air-conditioned and has a sofa, bed, gym, lounge to read scripts in, kitchen, big washrooms, television and Wi-Fi connectivtiy.
“The caravan is not a luxury for me,” says Naresh and then adds with a smile, “I am claustrophobic, so I had to have something with big spaces in it. Also, the tranquil environment in the van also helps me better to get into the mood of my character.
The actor is all smiles as he poses in the state-of-art caravan
Interestingly, the caravan culture hadn’t entered the film industry until the ’90s. Previously, cast members would all sit on chairs under trees.
“Unfortunately, that beautiful era is gone. Back then, all the actors had several conversations,” Naresh adds, seeming a tad disappointed at the change.
Incidentally, the actor has also gotten himself an Avanti DC home-bred sports car recently. “I think cars are to some men as jewellery is to some women. And right from my childhood, I had this fascination for cars and customising it,” adds Naresh, who has a thing for speed and had even done some bike and car racing when he was a teenager.
