4 Scenes Where Khaali Peeli Gave Us Major Nostalgia About Mumbai’s Iconic Taxis

Khaali Peeli, the latest Bollywood blockbuster, is available on ZEEPLEX. The film stars Ananya Pandey and Ishaan Khatter in leading roles and is a complete entertainer with romance, action and drama. Ishaan Khatter plays the role of a cab driver, Vijay Chauhan, who gets involved with a rider who is trying to escape from cops and criminals.

Watch the trailer for Khaali Peeli here.

The Fiat Padminis ruled the streets even as a family car in the 80’s and 90’s. The iconic black and yellow cabs continued even after the entry of many new cars. The cab Vijay drives is a classic Fiat Padmini that had become the identity of taxi cabs in Mumbai before they were phased out in early 2020.

We’re surprised the film didn’t give the cab a special name because it does some truly incredible things like high-speed car chases and donuts on empty roads.

Here are 4 things in the film that we miss about the cabs now.

1. Haggling with Taxi Drivers

In the time of Ola and Uber, the trend of cab drivers with ‘fixed’ rates is phasing out. We’ve all sat in cabs where the drivers have demanded a set fare and then bargained with them, pretending to be shocked by the high rates. In this film, Vijay quotes high rates for his late night rides and bargains well with his customers.

2. Untimely Strikes

Before we could book cabs from apps on our phone, we didn’t have much option when taxis went on strike. The film shows the strikes cab drivers went on after the rise in popularity of the apps. Vijay Chauhan is a driver who gives rides to customers who really need it, hoping that he would not run into any trouble.

3. Creative Taxi Art

The black and yellow colour was iconic but cab drivers added their own personal touch to their cabs. The taxi used in Khaali Peeli has a unique design on the back with different colours and different locations that the cab goes to, written on it.

4. Loud And Bright Interiors

Not just on the outside but inside the cabs too, we see some unique choices. Taxis with lights and small rotating fans inside are probably no longer a common sight. Vijay Chauhan’s choice of loud music reminds us of the cab drivers who had made us listen to their personal favourites, specially during long rides.

Rent the film Khaali Peeli from ZEEPLEX this weekend and enjoy the perfect family entertainer with a threatre-like experience at home.