How Kalki’s Bujji Was Born

Director
Nag
Ashwin’s
post
on
X
to
Mahindra
Group
Chairman
Anand
Mahindra
led
to
a
series
of
events,
culminating
in
the
creation
of
a
futuristic
car
that
drives
on
three
wheels.

Called
Bujji,
this
is
a
central
character
in
the
sci-fi
flick

Kalki
2898
AD,

The
concept
of
this
car,
which
runs
on
an
electric
propulsion
system
powered
by
a
47-kilowatt-hour
battery
pack,
began
two
years
ago.

Kalki
Producer
Priyanka
Dutt
tells

Business
Standard
that
their
team,
including
renowned
Los
Angeles-based
designer
Haisu
Wang
and
Nithin
Zihani
(a
senior
production
designer
who
has
worked
on
films
like

Tumbbad),
conceived
the
car’s
concept.

“It
took
us
almost
seven
months
to
design
this
car.
Wang,
known
for
his
work
in
blockbuster
Hollywood
films
like

Avengers:
Endgame,
Batman
and

Black
Panther:
Wakanda
Forever,
was
involved
in
the
process,”
Dutt
says.

However,
the
team
soon
realised
they
needed
someone
to
bring
their
imagination
to
life.

“This
is
when
Ashwin
(the
director)
tweeted
Mahindra,
and
he
connected
us
with
Coimbatore-based
Jayem
Automotives.
It
took
the
team
another
one-and-a-half
years
to
build
this
working
prototype,”
Dutt
says,
adding
that
tyre
maker
Ceat
was
commissioned
to
make
the
tyres
for
this
vehicle.

On
May
23,
when
the
creators
unveiled
Bujji,
which
acts
as
a
companion
to
Prabhas’
character
Bhairava
in
the
film,
Mahindra
tweeted:
‘Fun
stuff
does,
indeed,
happen
on
X.’

‘Our
team
at
Mahindra
Research
Valley
in
Chennai
helped
the
Kalki
team
realise
its
vision
for
a
futuristic
vehicle
by
simulating
the
powertrain
configuration,
architecture,
and
performance,’
Mahindra
added.

‘The
vehicle
runs
on
two
Mahindra
e-motors
powering
the
rear
spherical
wheel!
And
Jayem
Auto
put
it
all
together…’

Meet
Bujji,
Prabhas’
best
friend.

The
car
cost
Rs
4.5
crore
(Rs
45
million)
to
develop,
and
the
film=makers
imagined
it
as
having
a
brain
of
its
own.
This
6,000-kilogram
(6
tonne),
artificial
intelligence-powered
car
is
voiced
by
National
Award-winning
actor
Keerthy
Suresh.

Meanwhile,
Jayem
Auto’s
team
worked
to
get
the
engineering
right.

“All
the
imagination
was
done
by
the
film
crew
and
Ashwin.
What
we
did
was
convert
that
imagination
into
reality,”
said
Jayem
Auto
Managing
Director
J
Anand.