Inspired by Mohanlal's 'Aye Auto', Kerala man builds a mini-auto for his kids

Sundari, the mini auto rickshaw, runs on batteries and is fully equipped with lights, horn, speakers, a pen drive slot and a mobile charger.
Inspired by Mohanlal's 'Aye Auto', Kerala man builds a mini-auto for his kids
Inspired by Mohanlal's 'Aye Auto', Kerala man builds a mini-auto for his kids

This year’s father of the year award would probably to Arun Kumar Purushothaman, a father of two from Thodupuzha in Kerala. The young father made headlines recently for building a fully functional mini auto rickshaws for his children. The toy auto, which weighs only 60 kilos, has been named Sundari, after the famous three-wheeler driver by actor Mohanlal in the 1989 film Aye Auto.

Arun, who is a staff nurse at Idukki district hospital, says that he built the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) vehicle after learning that his son, Madhav Krishna, is a big fan of the film and Sundari, the auto rickshaw featured in it. He built the toy in seven months. 

The 60 kilo Sundari

In a creatively made video, Arun explains how he built the three-wheeler from scrap metal and other throw-away items.

Sundari’s front portion is made out of an old Sun direct dish, which was cut and moulded to create the frame. The chassis of the vehicle was an old metal stove that was beaten flat to serve the purpose.

The toy auto also has exciting features, including a mobile charger, a pen drive and memory card slot for the children to listen to music, speakers at the back, a first-aid box and an adjustable side view mirror made of wood.

He also fixed the toy auto rickshaw with a kicker - a mere prop that the children can pull to experience the feel of a real auto. A tiny meter box flashes colourful lights instead of displaying the ride fare.

“I made the tyres out of the rubber from used shoe soles,” he says.

Arun says that the auto runs on a 24 Volt DC motor, which can haul around 150 kilos. The breaks are designed with a cable disc, like in real autos, and a chain sprocket helps the vehicle move.

A secular auto, the interiors of Sundari is adorned with a picture of Saraswati, Jesus and Buddha stuck in the front. True to its original inspiration, Sundari also has a picture of its original driver - Mohanlal - at the back.

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