Business magnate Anand Mahindra recently embarked on a ride with the futuristic AI robot car Bujji from ‘Kalki 2898 AD.’ A flurry of pictures and videos capturing the moment has been making rounds across the internet. Mahindra, in a nod to the film’s director Nag Ashwin, also shared an image of himself alongside the batmobile-esque vehicle, showering commendations.
Taking to X, Mahindra shared snippets of his rendezvous with the car. Captioning the post, he remarked, “The mission was to invade Mumbai. But at Mahindra Towers in Worli, #Bujji ran into its cousin—my scarlet ScorpioN—and negotiated a peace treaty.”
The mission was to invade Mumbai.
But at Mahindra Towers in Worli, #Bujji ran into its cousin—my scarlet ScorpioN—and negotiated a peace treaty
Shabaash, @nagashwin7 for producing a landmark Indian Sci-Fi film…
My good wishes are with everyone who dreams THIS big….… https://t.co/rRlANKLIWN pic.twitter.com/iO3LwjAaXl
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 13, 2024
He also disseminated a video posted by the film’s creators, showcasing Mahindra test-driving the futuristic vehicle. Bujji is set to play the sidekick of Prabhas’ character, Bhairava, in the dystopian epic. Despite its hefty 6000 kg weight, Bujji operates on full electric power, driven by two motors delivering a total of 94 kW of power and 9,800 Nm of torque.
Previously, Anand Mahindra disclosed the integral roles played by his teams at Mahindra Research Valley and Jayem Motors in materializing Bujji’s vision. Speaking on X, he expressed his pride in @nagashwin7 and his team for daring to dream big. Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai handled the simulation of powertrain configuration, architecture, and performance, while Jayem Automotives oversaw the integration process.
Originally slated for release on May 9, ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was rescheduled to June 27 due to the Lok Sabha elections. Loosely inspired by the Mahabharata, the film paints a dystopian future, set in Kasi (Varanasi). Spanning from 3102 BC, the onset of ‘Kali Yuga,’ to 2898 AD, the narrative centers on Kalki, the tenth avatar of Vishnu. The film boasts an ensemble cast featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Hassan, and Disha Patani, and is directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by C Aswini Dutt under the banner of Vyjayanthi Movies.
However, the film recently found itself embroiled in controversy when a South Korean concept artist alleged plagiarism of his prior work by ‘Kalki 2898 AD.’ This has ignited an ongoing debate on social media platforms.