A new-age romantic-drama, the 2013 Hindi movie, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, features a Tata LPO 1613 bus of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). With the plot evolving around Naina Talwar (played by Deepika Padukone) and her extrovert school mate Aditi Mehra (played by Kalki Koechlin), the movie, directed by Ayan Mukerji, reflects the developments involving four friends who catch up on a hiking trip to the Himalayas along with a group of other youngsters. The shy medical student that Naina is, she is swayed by the old memories shared by Mehra and her plan to go on a vacation with her other friends to Manali. On an impulse, Naina, feeling burdened by her tough syllabus, decides to accompany her friend at the very last moment without informing her overbearing parents. On the trip, she meets her other school mates Kabir Thapar aka Bunny (played by Ranbir Kapoor) and Avinash Arora aka Avi (played by Aditya Roy Kapoor).
Over time, Naina develops feeling for Kabir whom she finds to be charming, cool and ambitious. She is impressed by his plan to travel the world before he thinks of settling down. Though good friends, Naina fails to express her feelings for him. The two part ways after the trip. After eight years, Naina and Kabir meet each other at the marriage ceremony of Mehra. The two again come closer. Kabir falls in love with Naina, but is confused between choosing a career he has come to love and settling down with Naina. Many twists and turns later the two find a way to meet each other. As is often the case with romantic movies, fate takes over.
Making a cameo appearance in the movie’s hit song, ‘Balam Pichkari’, the (HRTC) Tata LPO 1613 bus is sold as a fully-built bus and as a running chassis. It is powered by a 129 hp, 5.7-litre CNG engine and has a GVW of 16,200 kg. Equipped with a five-speed GBS 40 DD manual transmission, the bus is fitted with dual circuit full air S-cam brakes. Capable of seating up to 53 people depending on the application and the seating layout, the bus rides on 22.5-inch dia. wheels and 295/80R22.5 16 PR tyres. With a wheelbase of 5845 mm, the fuel tank capacity of the bus is 801-litres. It measures 11.5 m in length and could be had with a pneumatic or a weveller suspension.
