SHILLONG: Will the vintage car that late Honsen Lyngdoh possessed be motionless with the death of its owner?
The car, a 1904 Ford T Model, which is still in his garage, was used in the movie Gandhi in 1982.
Hansel H Shabong, the son of late Lyngdoh, told The Shillong Times on Tuesday that perhaps the vehicle may also “feel asleep” with the passing away of his father.
The car was often an attraction in the city when late Lyngdoh used to take it out for rallies. His son hoped that the relatives would use the car so as to add to the memories of his father.
In an earlier interview with The Shillong Times, late Lyngdoh had narrated more about the vintage car and how it was attracted by Hollywood filmmaker Richard Attenborough, who passed away in 2014.
Late Lyngdoh was associated with Attenborough for one month during the shooting of the movie.
After the Reader’s Digest carried a report about the first vintage car rally held in Shillong in its issue of November 25, 1975, the filmmaker had approached Lyngdoh for the vintage car.
When in the 1980s, after the producers of the film first contacted Lyngdoh over phone, Lyngdoh did not take it seriously.
As Lyngdoh was reluctant to part with the car, then Lt Governor of Delhi and later then Chief Minister late Capt Williamson Sangma persuaded him to change his mind.
After Lyngdoh agreed to the suggestion, the producers yet again contacted him and asked to transport the car in a truck.
The car was insured for Rs 5 lakh by the producers and it was transported from Shillong via road all the way to Delhi to be used in the film, while Lyngdoh, his wife and his friend Prabhat Sawian flew to Delhi.
After the car reached Meghalaya House, Delhi, a special trailer was used to transport it to the shooting place.
“We were in the set of Gandhi for one month and stayed in Ashoka Hotel. I taught an Australian who was in the set to drive the vintage vehicle as it was a peddle gear and there was no gear lever,” late Lyngdoh had said in the past.
The scene for which the car was used was a procession by Gandhi in front of a factory in Africa.
The Britishers came in the vintage car and warned Gandhi not to go ahead with the procession.
“Though the scene was just for two seconds, I was paid Rs 1.5 lakh for using the vintage vehicle,” Lyngdoh had said.
Lyngdoh had valued his association with Director-Producer Attenborough.
“He always smiled despite the hectic schedule in directing the movie. He told me that one should not get angry when enthused with any task. What surprised me that he assigned two persons on the set to give critical comments about the making of Gandhi movie to attain perfection,” Lyngdoh had said.
