Auto Raja rues missed date with film superstar Vishnuvardhan

Says actor was going to introduce him to his friends, but passed away before it happened

Says actor was going to introduce him to his friends, but passed away before it happened

They say procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Auto driver Raja, popularly known as Auto Raja, learnt this the hard way. A week before he passed away , Dr Vishnuvardhan asked him to meet him at a club. However, Raja postponed calling up the actor and fixing a time to meet. And on Wednesday, the legend passed away. Needless to say, the die-hard Kannadiga rues his lost opportunity. "I met Vishnuvardhan unexpectedly a few days ago. I had parked my auto near Rajajinagar entrance at around 3 pm. He was passing by and on seeing my auto he stopped his vehicle and spoke to me. He was very much impressed with my auto rickshaw. He said that I had maintained it very neatly and it looks like a temple inside," recalled Raja. He added that the two had spoken for 10 minutes.

King of the road: Auto Raja with his decked-up three-wheeler

The actor had told Raja that he had read about him in newspapers. "He gave me a contact number and told me to call and fix an appointment, as he wanted to introduce me to his friends at Sneha Loka Club, Jayanagar. I don't know why he wanted to do so, but it's my mistake that I missed the opportunity." Raja had to console himself by seeing the actor's body at National College grounds and spending the day there and going for the funeral. Raja said, "He is still alive in the hearts of Kannadigas. But now I have decided that when I next get such an opportunity to meet some one, I will do so quickly."