In an intriguing intersection of Bollywood glamour, luxury automobiles, and local political drama, two Rolls-Royce vehicles once owned by legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have landed in a hefty tax controversy in Bengaluru. The city’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) has imposed a combined penalty of ₹38 lakh on the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ghost models for failing to comply with Karnataka’s road tax regulations. Although these vehicles are still officially registered in the names of the Bollywood icons, they are no longer in their possession.

The actual user is Yusuf Sharif—better known as ‘KGF Babu’—a wealthy real estate businessman and politician from Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), the mining town that inspired the blockbuster Kannada film franchise KGF. Mr. Sharif reportedly acquired both cars from the actors years ago but failed to officially transfer their ownership, leaving the vehicles under the names of Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan on paper.

According to RTO officials, Amitabh Bachchan’s former Rolls-Royce Phantom has been in use in Bengaluru since 2021, while Aamir Khan’s Ghost has been operating in the city since 2023. As per the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Act, any vehicle used in the state for over a year must be re-registered locally and the applicable road tax must be paid. The Phantom attracted a fine of ₹18.53 lakh, while the Ghost incurred ₹19.73 lakh in penalties due to extended non-compliance.

Interestingly, the Phantom had already appeared on the RTO’s radar in 2021 but was not fined at the time since it hadn’t completed one year in the state. With both vehicles now exceeding that limit, the RTO has taken strict action.

Mr. Sharif, whose 2021 MLC election affidavit declared assets worth ₹1,744 crore, is no stranger to wealth but overlooked the basic legal requirement of vehicle ownership transfer and tax payment. This administrative oversight resulted in the unusual situation of two of Bollywood’s biggest stars being inadvertently linked to a bureaucratic lapse they had no role in.

This bizarre situation proves that in some cases, holding onto a famous name—even on paper—can come with a price tag worth crores.