Road rage, stunts and social media show-off: Are Thar owners driving a dangerous stereotype?
A surge of stunts, accidents and videos has pushed Thar into spotlight, raising questions about perception and profiling. A look at all sides of the debate
Haryana DGP O.P. Singh kicked a hornet’s nest last weekend when he called Mahindra Thar drivers “crazy” at a press conference. Social media erupted instantly. Some users agreed, saying they actively keep their distance from the SUV on the roads, while Thar owners slammed the remark as an unfair generalisation.
Barely a day later, irony struck. A Thar was found submerged in a Delhi lake after a stunt allegedly went wrong. Soon after, a video surfaced of a YouTuber splashing petrol on his Thar at a fuel station, allegedly for viral content. And then came another clip, a group of boys in a Thar assaulting a woman outside a Delhi hotel, prompting comments like, “This is what the DGP was talking about”.
Rewind a little. In September, five students were killed when their speeding Thar flipped after hitting a divider in Gurugram. That same month, an ACP’s son was arrested for running over a property dealer and then reversing the SUV to crush him again. Earlier this year, a Thar owner in Delhi crushed a security guard for objecting to incessant honking. The list goes on (see box at the end of the story).
So how did the revival of a classic Indian jeep, once seen as rugged and reliable, turn into shorthand for aggression, stunts-for-reels and reckless bravado? Experts point to its dominant structure, high seating and commanding road presence, which give drivers both a literal and figurative sense of power. Add countless viral reels glorifying off-roading, rule-breaking and hashtags like #beastmodeon, #modifiedthar and @offroadadventure inviting clout and showmanship, and you have the perfect butterfly effect.
Yet, can all Thar owners be painted with the same brush? Many say they’re being unfairly targeted. Mahindra Group did not respond to our requests for a comment.
What exactly did Haryana DGP OP Singh say?
“If it is a Thar, how can we let it go? The choice of vehicle reflects your mindset. People who drive Thar's perform stunts on the road. The son of an assistant commissioner of police ran over someone while driving a Thar. He wants his son freed, and we asked him whose name the car is registered in. It’s in his name... so he is the rogue element.”
Thar owners feel they are unfairly targeted: Cops stop us, not cars with tinted windows and blinding headlights
Actor Eijaz Khan, a proud owner of a Thar, says, “I drive a Thar and I’m part of a WhatsApp group called ‘Thar Lovers’. I don’t double check my lane if a Thar is crossing me! I’m actually more careful around foreign-made SUVs, especially at night. During Mumbai rains, when roads get questionable, this car helps me move smoothly. As far as rash driving is concerned, if someone has that keeda, he can kill someone even on a cycle!”
Actor Rohit Roy, who is also the first Thar owner in Mumbai says, “I’ve seen the kind of social media stunts people do with the Thar, but the car isn’t the problem, the people are. If you give the same person another vehicle, they’ll do the same things. I’ve been driving a Thar since the first one was delivered in Mumbai. I also own six superbikes and have never done a single stunt on them. For us, safety is paramount. What we really need is to educate youngsters so they don’t misuse a vehicle like this.”
Adding to this, actor Gul Panag a Thar enthusiast says, “I think there are some generalisations that get taken out of context, sometimes. Personally, I am not a fan of any kind of generalisation.”
Archit Arora, a chartered accountant by profession, shares this thoughts and says, “I wanted to buy a Thar since I first saw it 15–20 years ago, the design had me hooked. I finally fulfilled that dream four years ago. But if the DGP himself labels us this way, it trickles down to every checkpoint. I’m constantly stopped by cops, while cars with tinted windows and blinding headlights aren’t even challaned.”
Highlighting the need to focus on bigger battles, Aanika Sominder, pharmacy student says, “Honestly, there are way bigger issues the police should focus on instead of profiling drivers based on their vehicle. I do get stopped sometimes just because I’m driving a Thar, but usually they let me go once they see I’m a woman. Still, no one should be stopped because of the car they drive. This kind of profiling doesn’t solve anything.”
Lavyansh Gaur, MBA student adds his voice to the matter and says, “I bought the Thar for its features. It’s a very capable and sophisticated car. A lot of my friends drive it and none of them are into road rage. Some people might be, but not all of us are creating chaos on the roads.”
“Discipline is everything for me, and this car symbolises that. This is my second Thar. During Covid, I even delivered food to cops on duty. I’ve helped catch snatchers. But the moment they see my Thar, I get stopped and checked. It’s profiling, plain and simple," says Kabeer Mehra, runs a women’s fitness institute; coaches kids in martial arts.
Amarjit Singh, of Gang of Thars, which has a strong following of 14.8K on social media feels it's unfair to categorise people like this.
He says, “The Thar that was found submerged in the lake wasn’t a stunt, it was an accident that got publicised wrongly. During the floods in Gurgaon, our group actually went out to rescue people. You can’t categorise people like this. We have reputed members, including people from the Army. We drive responsibly.”
We don't categorise: Delhi police
Dinesh Gupta, Additional CP Traffic, says, “We take action against reckless driving and those performing dangerous stunts irrespective of the vehicle. We don’t categorise. This year, in Delhi, there have been 8 fatal and 9 non-fatal accidents involving Thar. The figure is not very high, so it is not like everyone who is driving a Thar is a rogue.”
Psychology and Perception
Exploring the perception related to the vehicle, Dr Rahul Chandhok, Psychiatrist says, “Just like some people like flashing their gold, diamonds or iPhones, many like flaunting the Thar as a possession, a way of saying, ‘I belong to this exclusive club’. Even manufacturers promote it like that. Have you ever seen a Bullet promoted as a daily commute bike? Similarly, the Thar is marketed as a statement.”
Adding another angle to the observation, Dr Deepak Raheja, Psychiatrist says, “Cars like the Thar often become extensions of one’s identity, symbols of power, freedom and rebellion. When that identity is insecure or inflated, it can manifest as aggressive or lawless behaviour on the road. The issue lies less with the car and more with the mindset it attracts or amplifies.”
Sreeja De Behll, Psychologist believes, “We cannot generalise a brand and say only a certain type of person will buy the car. That’s bracketing and labelling. What concerns me more is the rise in risk-taking behaviour and impulsiveness without weighing consequences.”
Gunjan Ryder, Clinical Psychologist says, “To make sense of situations, people tend to generalise and brand certain vehicles negatively. This stems from our tendency to stereotype based on a few incidents. It’s not entirely correct or fact-based. In many cases, the vehicle’s ‘personality’ and the driver’s personality get linked, giving the car a bad name instead of focusing on the aggressive behaviour of the driver.”
THAR ROAD RAGE: A QUICK RECAP
March 2025 — Noida
A Thar drove on the wrong side and hit several two-wheelers in a car-market area.
April 2025 — Lucknow
A viral video showed youth standing on the roof of a Thar as it performed a dangerous drift on two wheels.
May 2025 — Pune
A speeding Thar crashed into five parked motorbikes; the driver was detained.
May 2025 — Noida
A video showed a Thar weaving dangerously and braking abruptly near pedestrians at Amity University. The vehicle had tinted windows, and the front plate read “Gurjar” instead of a registration number.
June 2025 — Noida
A Thar driver deliberately hit a man and threw him into a drain.
July 2025 — Jammu
A Thar first collided with a scooter rider, then reversed into him again. The court called it an act with “deliberate intent to kill.”
September 2025 — Delhi
A brand-new Thar being delivered plunged from the first floor of a showroom during a “lemon-crushing” ritual.
September 2025 — Gurugram
A speeding Thar lost control, hit a divider and killed five people, leaving one critically injured.
