Škoda Octavia RS and Rishab Rikhiram Sharma Blend Music and Motorsport

New Delhi: Škoda Auto India has released a film featuring the Škoda Octavia RS and global sitar player Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, capturing the intersection of musical artistry and automotive performance. 

The film was created as part of the brand’s 25th anniversary in India and explores the synergy between Sharma’s music and the Octavia RS on track. The film presents a convergence of two performance-driven icons, Sharma on stage and the Octavia RS on the track, highlighting precision, artistry, and technical skill in their respective domains.

Commenting on the film, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India, 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.” 

He added, “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.”

Rishab Rikhiram Sharma said, “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.”

The Octavia was Škoda’s first car in India, launched in 2001, with the RS variant arriving in 2004 as the country’s first turbocharged petrol engine passenger car. The current Octavia RS brings together elements of the model’s legacy and contemporary engineering, reflected in the collaboration with Sharma.

Sharma, the last disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, is recognised internationally for his performances across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and India. For this collaboration, he reinterprets his 2021 piece ‘Chanakya’ from the Navaras project, with the resampled version capturing the Veer Rasa sentiment of courage, self-assurance, and determination, complementing the Octavia RS’s performance on track.

Watch the campaign films: