Surreal Streets: Indofuturist Art & Concepts
I find the glitch in the everyday. From autonomous crab-cabs in Bandra to floating citizens at Marine Drive, I reimagine Mumbai through a sci-fi lens where the mundane meets the extraordinary.
The "Kekdacab," an autonomous crab-cab designed to navigate Mumbai's difficult terrain. I create speculative vehicle designs that are practical solutions to real-world problems, perfect for film or game environments.
A still image of the Kekdacab, giving a clearer view of its design. This kind of concept art is essential for modeling and building assets for a production.
A blue Kekdacab navigating a flooded street. I create variations on my designs to add diversity and realism to the urban landscapes I build.
An amphibious auto-rickshaw for Mumbai's monsoon season. This is another example of how I blend practical problem-solving with a touch of the surreal in my vehicle designs.
The "Malhār Jalchitrak," a legendary floating cinema that appears when the city floods. I create concepts that are not just objects, but cultural institutions with their own stories and legends.
A "Smogsucker" robot deployed in a polluted area. This is a character concept that also functions as environmental storytelling, addressing the issue of air quality in a visually impactful way.
A Smogsucker on patrol in a dusty alley. I place my creations in realistic environments to show how they would interact with the world.
A Smogsucker at a construction site, showing its industrial scale. These designs can be adapted for different settings, from urban streets to industrial zones.
A Smogsucker navigating a crowded street. This highlights the central conflict of my work: the chaotic, beautiful collision of high technology and everyday Indian life.
A Smogsucker parked in front of a heritage building, creating a powerful contrast between the old and the new.
About Surreal Streets: The Magic in the Mundane
When you commission these concepts, you aren't just getting an image—you are getting a fully realized asset for your film bible or pitch deck. Whether it is a Smogsucker robot designed for your story's industrial setting or an amphibious auto-rickshaw to solve a plot point in your script, every piece is built to serve a narrative function rather than just look good on a screen.
My work in this series is about asking 'What if' within the context of our own reality. I don't import sci-fi aesthetics from Hollywood; I pull them from the cracks in our sidewalks, the humidity of our monsoons, and the absurdity of our traffic.
Building Worlds, Not Just Images
Indofuturism is my tool for exploring modern Indian anxieties—pollution, density, and social divides—by turning them into speculative design. The 'Kekdacab' isn't just a vehicle design; it's a commentary on urban mobility. The floating laborers at Marine Drive aren't just a surreal photo; they are a visual exploration of labor and gravity.
How This Fits Your Project
If you are a filmmaker, game developer, or brand strategist, this style offers more than just mood references. I provide:
- Narrative Design: Every robot, vehicle, or character concept comes with lore. We define how these objects fit into your universe's history.
- Technical Clarity: I focus on cinematic aspect ratios and upscaled 4K resolution, ensuring these hero keyframes are production-ready for your treatment decks.
- Cultural Specificity: By using familiar Indian elements—like the architecture of a construction site or the local auto-rickshaw design—the sci-fi elements feel more grounded and dangerous.
When we collaborate, we move from the initial brain-dump to a final, high-fidelity visual that feels like it was ripped straight out of a future we haven't quite reached yet.
Prateek Arora
I am Prateek. I spend my time building weird, glitchy worlds in my head and translating them into art with the help of AI and a lot of adrak chai. I don't chase trends; I just make the kind of Indofuturist art that I would want to see in a film, whether it's a smog-eating robot or a floating taxi in the middle of a monsoon.
Looking for a different kind of world?
Browse my other collections of characters, vehicles, and satirical designs.
More from Sci-Fi World-Building & Concept Development by Prateek Arora
More services by Prateek Arora