ŠKODA AUTO INDIA has unveiled a new film featuring the Škoda Octavia RS and renowned sitar player Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, created to mark the brand’s 25th anniversary in India. The film explores the harmony between Sharma’s artistry and the Octavia RS’s dynamic performance on the track.
The Octavia holds a special place in Škoda’s journey in India, launched in 2001 as the brand’s first model in the country, with the RS variant debuting in 2004 as India’s first turbocharged petrol passenger car. The current-generation Octavia RS embodies this legacy while showcasing Škoda’s contemporary engineering, making the collaboration with Sharma a fitting tribute.
Sharma, the last disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, is internationally acclaimed for his performances across the United States, Europe, Middle East, United Kingdom, and India. For this collaboration, he reimagines his 2021 composition ‘Chanakya’ from the Navaras project, with the reinterpreted version evoking Veer Rasa, the sentiment of courage, confidence, and determination, echoing the Octavia RS’s spirit of performance and precision.
Škoda Auto India brand director Ashish Gupta said, “For something packed with as much legacy and thrill as the Octavia RS, it was only fitting that the occasion demanded a collaboration just as iconic, just as rhythmic, and just as symphonic as the RS. Rishab Rikhiram Sharma brings the same blend of finesse and dynamism that defines the Octavia RS. His music moves with precision and passion, rooted in tradition yet alive with modern energy, much like the Octavia RS, which combines decades of engineering excellence with the unrelenting spirit of performance. Together, they represent a harmony between heritage and innovation, where power meets poise and emotion meets control.”
Sharma added, “Whether it’s performing on stage or racing on the track, both pursuits demand unwavering concentration and a profound connection to your craft. Mastery comes from immersing yourself fully in the moment, allowing precision and passion to fuel your performance. In capturing this synergy for the newly introduced, high-performing Škoda Octavia RS, I have attempted to portray the exhilarating balance between serenity and speed in my first-ever performance on a racing track.”
