Ranbir Kapoor has added a new talking point to the Ramayana promotional campaign by comparing the film’s mythical Pushpaka Vimana to Elon Musk‘s recently demonstrated Tesla Roadster. During a promotional interview for the Nitesh Tiwari-directed epic, the actor said India had a flying vehicle 5,000 years ago, a remark that quickly spread across social media and drew a mix of praise, amusement and criticism.
What Ranbir Kapoor Said During the Star Talks Interview
The comment came during a conversation with television presenter Suma on her show Star Talks. Ranbir was joined by co-stars Yash, Ravi Dubey and Rakul Preet Singh, along with director Nitesh Tiwari.
The host noted that the weapons and equipment described in Lord Rama’s era could give modern devices tough competition. She also praised the visual effects work by Academy Award-winning studio DNEG, which handled the film’s VFX. Nitesh agreed that reimagining those elements for the big screen was an exciting part of the process.
Ranbir then brought Elon Musk into the conversation.
“Elon Musk recently invented a flying car. I think India did it 5,000 years ago!”
The actor was referring to the Pushpaka Vimana, the flying palace described in the Hindu epic. A clip from the interaction spread widely on social media after being shared on October 31, 2026.
The Tesla Roadster Demonstration That Sparked the Comparison
Ranbir’s remark followed Tesla’s public demonstration of its next-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX facility in Texas. The electric sports car used rocket-style thrusters and a suction system to climb a steep ramp, hang upside down, flip in the air and land on its wheels.
Tesla said the car could go from 0 to 60 mph in less than one second with its thrusters engaged. Musk described the technology as a collaboration between “the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company”. The company has set a production target of 2028, though Tesla has missed similar timelines in the past.
“Flying cars are real.”
Musk also said the vehicle’s “success is not guaranteed” but that “it will probably work”. The demonstration did not show long-range flight, and automotive experts have noted that road-worthy cars that can truly fly still face major engineering barriers.
What Is the Pushpaka Vimana in the Ramayana?
The Pushpaka Vimana is described in the Ramayana as a self-moving flying chariot or flying palace. According to Hindu mythology, it was originally built by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect, for Lord Brahma. Brahma later gave it to Kubera, the god of wealth. Ravana took possession of it after defeating Kubera.
The epic describes the vehicle as capable of travelling at the speed of thought and expanding to hold any number of passengers. Its appearance in the film is one of the visual highlights of the promotional material.
Director Nitesh Tiwari said the team spent close to two years arriving at the final design of the Pushpaka Vimana. The design process also affected the choreography of the Ravana-Jatayu fight sequence, requiring several rounds of adjustments.
Ramayana Film Details and Global Release
Ramayana: Part One is a two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha.
The music is composed by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. The two-part project is mounted on a reported budget of ₹4,000 crore, positioning it as one of the biggest Indian film productions ever.
The first part is scheduled to release in theatres on November 5, 2026, coinciding with Diwali. The film will arrive in more than 100 countries across roughly 50,000 screens. It will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English, in formats including 2D, 3D, IMAX 3D, 4DX 3D and 3D Screen X. The Central Board of Film Certification cleared the film with a U certificate, and the runtime is locked at 195 minutes.
Advance booking data showed 4.98 lakh tickets sold for the first day across 12,631 shows at the time of reporting. Delhi-NCR led the opening-day advance bookings with ₹3.45 crore, followed by Bengaluru at ₹3.27 crore and Mumbai at ₹2.72 crore.
Social Media Reactions: Memes, Support and Criticism
Clips from the Star Talks interview circulated widely on X and other platforms. Some users appreciated Ranbir’s enthusiasm for Indian mythology. Others questioned the comparison between a mythological description and a modern engineering demonstration.
Several users turned the remark into memes, joking that India had forgotten to patent its ancient flying technology. The conversation around the comment remained mixed, with some finding it amusing and others criticising the statement.
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Ranbir Kapoor’s Dussehra Apology and Promotional Context
The flying car comment came shortly after Ranbir addressed a verbal slip at a Dussehra celebration in Kolkata on October 20, 2026. While speaking about the festival’s message, he used the word “ant” (end) instead of “jeet” (victory), briefly reversing the meaning of his sentence. The video circulated on social media.
At the Ramayana album launch event at the Chennai Trade Centre on October 21, Ranbir apologised directly.
“I want to apologise about an incident that happened yesterday while I was at a Dussehra event. I had a slip of the tongue. What I was meant to say is ‘burai chahe kitni bhi taqatwar kyun naa ho, aakhir mein jeet sacchai aur achchai ki hogi.’”
With composer AR Rahman at the event, Ranbir recalled their work on Rockstar and quoted a lyric to explain his difficulty in expressing himself.
The Ramayana team has been promoting the film across multiple cities and countries ahead of its November 5 release. The film’s first part is set to arrive in theatres worldwide on November 5, 2026, with the second part planned for release in 2027.
Also Read: Ranbir Kapoor’s God Prescription Joke on Sai Pallavi’s MBBS-to-Acting Switch Lights Up KBC 18 Promo
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