‘World’s best Bolero driver’: Anand Mahindra praises man escaping elephant chase

A man driving a Mahindra Bolero on reverse to escape a chasing wild elephant while on a safari ride has gone viral. Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, has shared the video and praised the calmness of the driver in the face of being crushed by the elephant. The SUV, modified as a safari car, also had at least two tourists who were witness to the heroic act and also shot the video.

The video was shared by Supriya Sahu, an IAS officer, on social media which she received through one of her friends. The video is reportedly shot at the Kabini National Park, near Mysuru, in Karnataka.

Praising the driver, Mahindra wrote on Twitter, “This was apparently at the Kabini Reserve last Thursday. I hereby anoint the man at the wheel as the best Bolero driver in the world & also nickname him Captain Cool."

The 36-second video shows the driver, who was identified as Prakash, calmly reversing the Bolero as the wild elephant kept chasing it through the forest. Eventually, the wild elephant stopped chasing the Bolero as the driver maintained the speed of the animal while reversing at the same speed.

The video not only showcases the presence of mind of the driver, but also his driving skills. The Bolero in the video does not have any reverse camera, which could have made the driver's job easier. But he had to constantly refer to the ORVMs to stay on track as well as maintain safe distance from the chasing wild elephant at the front. That is the key reasons why his action won the praise from Anand Mahindra.