Life is a highway

Sumeet Mahuli started collecting car models at the age of five. Sounds natural for a child of that age but what sets him apart is that he has managed to sustain his passion for this hobby till date and is now the proud owner of a huge collection of diecast miniature models.

"My dad started gifting these small models to me when I used to get good marks in school. I had a big collection in my childhood but unfortunately, I lost most of it when we shifted houses. I built a new collection from scratch during the last 3-4 years and now I have close to 200 models," he says.

Sumeet has picked up models from countries like Germany, Dubai, Poland, Sweden, France, Frankfurt and more, which are not available in India. "Scaled-down models come in different sizes like 1:18, 1:24, 1:36 and 1:64 (to put it in perspective, the size of an actual car is notified as 1:1). I pick up 3-4 model cars every month whenever I find new ones across toy stores in Bengaluru. But the variety and quality leaves a lot to be desired - you mostly get plastic ones and Chinese models; the metal ones are the best though. I prefer to go to the store called 'ModelArt' in Koramangala Forum Mall or browse online," he says, adding that brands like Maisto and Bburago are what he swears by.

He also has scaled-down models of Indian cars like Fortuner, Innova, Toyota, Mahindra Bolero and the Ambassador. "The quality is inferior though, they are all plastic. I got them for Rs 150 to 200 each."

The most expensive ones in his collection are priced at Rs 5,500 to 6,000. "I imported them so the customs duty and everything else pushed up their cost. I bought a Chevrolet Cruze for myself some time back, it was one of my dream cars. So I imported a miniature Chevrolet Cruze from Germany and placed the model on the dashboard. A Lamborghini graces the rear end of the vehicle. Whenever I stop at a signal, I see people staring at these models. Some even take pictures," he says with a laugh.

Sumeet is an automobile engineer and is also writing a book on Formula One. He worked at a couple of MNCs before joining his father's law consultancy and is responsible for some ex-colleagues and friends being bitten by the same bug. "I used to take these models to office to create awareness among people. I also keep posting a lot of pictures of cars and bikes on social media. So everyone knows of my interest now. On every birthday, some of my friends present me models I don't have."

He does photoshoots of his collection on roads sometimes, to get the natural feel. He is also setting up a miniature road scene on the terrace with thermocol and waste material. During 'Ayudha Pooja', he washes all the cars and keeps them for 'pooja'. "My mom is exasperated but she supports me, she understands my passion. My dad is quite neutral."

Children from the neighbouring houses are frequent visitors. "I just keep a minimal number out for them to see. I make sure they don't touch the models because they don't know how to handle these. They go mad when they see all the cars," he smiles.

(Sumeet can be contacted on 9902626111)