For Adah Sharma, the number 1920 has a special significance. It is not just the title of her 2008 debut film, the horror drama 1920, but also her car number plate. The story behind it is as personal as it is serendipitous. When Adah wanted to buy a car with her first earnings, her father, who preferred that she walk or use public transport rather than own a car, eventually agreed on one condition — she would have to buy it with her own money. He took care of the bookings, but reserved a surprise gift for her: a number plate bearing the digits 1920.‘My dad never wanted me to have a car’Adah recalls, “Initially, my dad didn’t want me to have a car. He said it’s club culture and we should travel by rickshaw or walk. I tried to explain to him that I’m an actress and I need to go for auditions, so I cannot go around walking everywhere. So with my first earnings, I bought a car, which he booked for me.” Her father had a surprise planned for her. She shares, “With his money, he booked the number plate for me, which cost him about Rs 11,000. He said it is a gift for me and the number plate was 1920, the title of my debut film.”‘Driving is basically teleportation’The Commando 2 actress says that getting behind the wheel is akin to teleportation, albeit at a much slower pace. “I love driving! It’s basically teleportation, just in slow motion, with traffic, potholes and the occasional existential crisis,” she says. She finds the experience philosophical, too, particularly when traffic leaves her with little else to do but reflect on life. “It’s also a great reminder that life is a journey, not a destination… mostly because you’re stuck behind a truck and have no choice but to reflect on your life choices. I think driving is beautiful. It’s just you, the road, and the constant awareness that one wrong turn can change your life forever… very philosophical and very cinematic, right?”‘There’s something lovely about a vintage car’If she could pick any car for a long, scenic drive, Adah would choose an Ambassador and head to the countryside. “There’s something lovely about a car that looks like it has witnessed three generations of family secrets and possibly a murder (laughs),” she says, adding, “I’d drive slowly, enjoy the scenery, and let the car make all those nostalgic noises that make you wonder if it’s running on petrol or memories. And if it breaks down, I’ll just sit there and admire the view. After all, the car is vintage, I’m vintage in spirit, and we’ve got nowhere urgent to be.”‘I wouldn’t say driving is therapeutic’Driving is often described as therapeutic, but Adah has a different view on it. “Honestly, I wouldn’t call driving therapeutic. My idea of freedom isn’t sitting inside a metal box, holding a circular object and hoping everyone around me has basic survival instincts! But it is a lot of fun. It’s a good way to run away from your problems temporarily, especially if you don’t tell anyone where you’re going,” she laughs and concludes.‘I’m a very slow driver’Despite her enthusiasm for driving, speed is not her priority. Adah prefers a smooth ride, even if it means taking longer to reach her destination. “I’m a very slow driver. My philosophy is that you shouldn’t feel a single speed breaker or pothole. It might take me two hours longer to reach the destination, but when we get there, your spine and I will still be friends (laughs). I’m not in a race against time, so why speed up? I believe in a smooth drive, gentle acceleration and treating every pothole like it’s a sleeping baby you don’t want to wake up.”