TL;DR — the direct answer: Ranbir Kapoor, promoting the film Ramayana ahead of its 5 November 2026 release, joked that India had a flying car 5,000 years ago — referring to the Pushpaka Vimana, the flying chariot of the Ramayana — after Elon Musk recently showed off a flying Tesla Roadster. The remark was made in a light-hearted promotional interview, it was not a historical claim, and the Pushpaka Vimana remains a mythological and literary concept, not a documented invention.
What happened: During a promotional interaction for Ramayana, in which Kapoor plays Lord Rama in director Nitesh Tiwari's film adaptation of the Hindu epic, the actor appeared on presenter Suma's Chat Show and drew a playful parallel with Tesla. According to Business Today, which reported the clip on 2 November 2026, Kapoor said, in substance: Elon Musk recently invented a flying car, and India did it 5,000 years ago. In another version of the exchange quoted in the same report, he added the Musk reference first and then said India had done so millennia earlier. The reference was to the Pushpaka Vimana, the self-moving aerial vehicle of the Ramayana, associated in the epic with Ravana. A short clip of the interview was then shared widely online, where it drew both amusement and criticism.
Why it's trending: Three things collided at once. First, the comparison itself is tailor-made for sharing: a modern billionaire's flying car against an ancient epic's flying chariot, in a single quotable line. Second, the timing is perfect for the film's marketing: Ramayana: Part One releases on 5 November, and its advance booking has already crossed ₹22 crore in India on the first day, with about 4.90 lakh tickets sold across more than 12,600 shows, according to trade reporting. Third, the clip invites an argument that social media loves to have — where does mythology end and history begin? Some viewers enjoyed the joke; others criticised comparing a literary flying vehicle with a modern engineering prototype. That disagreement kept the clip circulating.
Background / context: The context matters for both halves of the joke. On the modern side, Elon Musk showcased Tesla's redesigned, next-generation Roadster at an event in Texas on 15 October 2026, with a flying-car element that drew global attention. On the epic side, the Pushpaka Vimana is described in Hindu epics, including the Valmiki Ramayana, as a divine, self-moving aerial vehicle — a marvel of the story's world, not a machine with surviving blueprints, workshops or archaeological evidence. Ramayana is a large-scale adaptation led by Kapoor as Rama, with Yash also starring, and its promotions have put its rendering of the Pushpaka Vimana front and centre. Kapoor's remark therefore works as promotion and as a joke at the same time.
What we know / what's unconfirmed: Confirmed: Kapoor made the flying-car remark in a promotional interview, in a light-hearted vein, while discussing the film's depiction of the Pushpaka Vimana; Musk did showcase a redesigned Roadster in Texas on 15 October; Ramayana releases on 5 November, with strong advance booking reported. Not confirmed, and not claimed by any serious source: that ancient India built a working flying machine. The Pushpaka Vimana is a mythological and literary concept, and this post does not present it as a documented technological invention. Also unconfirmed: whether the clip will help or hurt the film's opening — advance sales were already strong before the remark went viral, so any effect is, at most, on top of existing momentum.
What happens next: The next test is 5 November itself, when audiences judge the film's Pushpaka Vimana on screen. Watch opening-day collections against that ₹22 crore advance base, and reviews of the visual effects.
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Q: What exactly did Ranbir Kapoor say?
A: In a promotional interview on Suma's Chat Show, he joked that Elon Musk recently invented a flying car, but India did it 5,000 years ago — referring to the Pushpaka Vimana of the Ramayana.
Q: Is the Pushpaka Vimana a real historical invention?
A: No. It is described in the Ramayana as a divine, self-moving aerial vehicle. It is a mythological and literary concept, not a documented technological invention with surviving evidence.
Q: When does Ramayana release?
A: Ramayana: Part One, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, is scheduled for release on 5 November 2026, with advance booking already reported above ₹22 crore in India.
Sources: Business Today — Ranbir Kapoor's flying cars remark • Business Today — Ramayana advance booking
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Ramayana: Part 1's India advance booking reached ₹45.96 crore including blocked seats by 6 am on 2 November, with 11.01 lakh tickets sold — more than double the figure reported a d