Behind every good ad film is an even better ad film-maker whose unique story-telling is evident in the brilliance we see on screen. IMPACT meets 10 of the country’s top ad film-makers to explore each one’s magic touch
BY ALISHA PATEL
Telling a story in a mere 30 seconds is no easy task, and yet ad film-makers do it every day with aplomb. Over the last decade, India has witnessed a spurt in the number of ad films produced every year which pack a range of emotions into them from comical to profound, and whacky to sentimental. Behind the scenes of these films is a talented breed of ad film-makers who are not only specialists in effectively conveying the message of the brand, but evoking emotion in the viewer. With phenomenal growth in the ad film-making space, a new generation of film-makers has evolved and found place among the industry’s legends. Rewriting scripts, offering suggestions and even composing music scores… no part of the ad campaign is beyond them. Most of them choose to see themselves as ‘risk-takers’… as their works, concepts and trends evolve over time. Their names crop up occasionally with regard to work on a particular brand, or an award they have just won, but ad film-makers remain the heroes of the advertising industry and are constantly thinking about the next big idea for a shoot.
Often, their stories are as captivating as their works. Their tales of grit, determination, humour, disappointment and more adds value to the spectrum of their work. For some, the journey started while they were still in high school, for some it evolved from the love of acting, for others it was the love of story-telling… but one thing is for sure - there is a burning passion to produce ad films that not just generate brand recall, but also emotional attachment to the ad film-maker’s craft.
Here, we present interviews with some veterans in the industry and some new faces as well (in no particular order) – the one thing in common is that they all have a beautiful story to tell.
[Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive list and does not rank the ad film-makers.]
ABHINAY DEO
Ramesh Deo Productions
An architect by qualification, Abhinay Deo’s passion lay in telling stories and this drew him to pursue his passion and enter the advertising world. After applying to a number of agencies, he began working at Ogilvy & Mather as a film-maker. Since then, there has been no looking back for Deo who eventually left Oligvy and joined the family-owned Ramesh Deo Productions, where he has gone on to make more than 550 ad films.
Most Memorable Work: Although hard to pick, Deo names his work for Times of India as one of his most memorable. He also shares a story of a series of ad films he did for Hallmark’s Valentine’s Day campaign while he was still at Ogilvy. The films had to be made, yet budgets were tight, and a young Deo approached then Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather Ranjan Kapur to borrow his handycam to shoot the films. He bought a tape, gathered a few of the staff to act and even wrote the music himself. Using just these resources, he produced three ad films!
USP: As a film-maker and a story-teller, Deo does not believe in limiting himself to any particular genre. Always open to challenges, Deo says that while he does not have a signature style, he believes his USP is that he can handle almost every genre, every style and emotion with ease. He also adds that he loves to dabble in every genre and bring a fresh approach to telling a story, which is the reason why he and Ramesh Deo Productions have a wide array of films on their showreel.
Top Clients: Times of India, Surf, Airtel and Hindustan Unilever.
Fun Facts: Abhinay Deo humbly states that he isn’t very sure what is known and unknown about Ramesh Deo Productions in the industry. When prodded further, he says that he feels a lot of people are unaware that the ‘RD’ in the company name stands for Ramesh Deo, his father, who has been an iconic figure in the industry for a number of years.
Shoot Anecdote: Deo recalls a ‘freaky’ incident while shooting an ad for Thums Up with Akshay Kumar and Chiranjeevi in the Rann of Kutch. Nine kilometers inside the Rann of Kutch, towards Pakistan, the land was completely barren and parched. In the middle of the shoot, a resident from the area ran out to warn them that it was about to rain heavily. Deo looked up and could not see a single cloud and thought this person was crazy. He insisted he would carry on with his shoot. About an hour later, it began to pour and in a few hours, the place was flooded and unsuitable for a shoot. Deo and his crew had to wait almost a month before they could resume their shoot and till date, it remains one of his most memorable shoots.
CRACK TEAM: Ramesh Deo, Seema Deo, Abhinay Deo (leader of the creative team), Ajinkya Deo, Atul Joshi, Vineet Sawant (director), Shashi Jain (director), Rob Kaplan (director), Apurba Sengupta (senior executive producer), Rajesh Sharma (commercial manager).
RAM MADHVANI
Equinox Films
At the age of 16, when most teenagers are not sure what to do professionally, Ram Madhvani was certain he wanted to become a film-maker. As a child, while watching films on 16mm tape which would often burn, the fumes intoxicated him, he says, and the rest is history. After dabbling in small trade in India, Ram moved to New York where he studied film-making. On his return to India, his family suggested he take up ad film-making and he joined Equinox as a trainee. After two years, as luck would have it, he was made partner at the firm.
Equinox also enjoys a tie-up with London-based production house Great Guns. Post the success of their Happydent campaign, there were a lot of enquiries from production houses to tie up and Ram was drawn to Great Guns because of similar values, thoughts and works.
USP: In advertising, film directors are often told what they have to do and say in a film, whereas Ram focuses more on the emotional reaction and expression of a film, which makes Equinox a company standing out from other production houses. Ad films, he says, should not just have information, but emotion as well.
Favourite work: Ram recalls his works with Happydent as his most memorable work, as well as the ‘Har Ek Friend Zaroori Hota Hai’ campaign for Airtel. An ad film for Adidas featuring Sachin Tendulkar is also among his list of top works.
Fun Facts:
Equinox likes to call itself the oldest-youngest production house as it has been in the industry for a long time and has won several awards. A lot of production houses have come and gone, yet Equinox has stayed, and hence Ram feels that it is doing something right.
Shoot anecdote: While shooting a commercial for Kindle in the Lakshadweep Islands, at the last minute the Equinox team was told that the village they were meant to shoot in required special permissions as it was exclusively meant for adventure sports. Since the budget had already been approved, tickets and hotels booked, postponing the shoot was not an option. Within 24 hours, the team managed to identify a new, even better location in Sri Lanka. Looking back, Ram says that it was one example of a film blessed by the Gods of Cinema, who put a crisis in their way to make the film better.
CRACK TEAM: Ram Madhvani (director), Vijay Singh (CEO, Fox Star), Rucha Pathak (Chief Creative Officer, Fox Star), Atul Kasbekar, Shanti Sivaram Maini (coproducers), Mitesh Mirchandani (DOP), Aparna Sud (production designer, Plane), Anna Ipe (production designer).
Size of Business: Rs 135 crore (approx)
AMIT SHARMA
Chrome Pictures
What started as a dream to be an actor, turned into a story of a highly successful ad film director. While acting in an ad film, the process of making it fascinated Amit, who asked the director if he could stay on and work with him. Starting as an assistant, he and a colleague Aleya Sen decided to move on and start a venture of their own in 2004. Then, he was just 24.
USP: At Chrome Pictures, the directors believe in the power of story-telling, which has to be clear. For them, getting a film right with the right cast, the right music and emotions is their USP.
FAVOURITE WORK: The Gundappa campaign for Lifebuoy remains one of Amit’s most memorable shoots, as it took three months to finish. While shooting, there was a medical emergency and the body double could not walk on his hands as planned and the shoot had to be postponed. When they resumed shooting, the Cheenai floods happened. The third time around, they were lucky and managed to complete the shoot. What makes it memorable is that although the entire shoot was just for six days, it took three months to complete.
SHOOT Anecdote: While shooting the Google Reunion ad, Amit shot with two 85-year-olds who had their own whims, fancies and were just like little children on the sets. Watching them interact was great fun. The bickering between the two made the shoot interesting. What also made the shoot memorable was the opening shot, picturized in Lahore by a local photographer.
TOP Clients: Google, Airtel, Castrol, Future Group, Hindustan Times, Tata Sky, UNICEF.
Fun Facts: Chrome Pictures enjoys a non-structure system, and they firmly believe in it. All employees are treated as equals and work in every department.
CRACK Team: Amit Sharma (founder & director), Aleya Sen (founder & director), Hemant Bhandari (director), Manoj Pillai (director).
Annual Turnover: Rs100+ crore (approx)
PRASOON PANDEY
Corcoise Films
Prasoon Pandey describes his journey in advertising as topsy-turvy as he was trained as a graphic designer, but was hired as a film writer at Lowe. Over the course of his career, he scripted a film for Bajaj Sunlife, which he enacted to the client and suggested that he direct it himself. In no time, his journey as an ad film-maker had begun. After working with a production house for a number of years, Prasoon teamed up with Cyrus Pagdiwala to start Corcoise Films in 2002.
USP: All four directors share the same belief that to make a great film, they have to be a part of the creative team from the agency. They are all willing to take risks. They are methodical about producing a memorable piece of work, and not merely work for awards and numbers. Quality matters more than quantity.
FAVOURITE work: Among Prasoon’s most memorable works are the films shot for Fevicol, and he is constantly thinking about the next film. He also enjoys working on films for brands like Sprite and Pepsi.
TOP Clients: Fevicol, IPL, Bournvita, Federal Bank, Sprite, Britannia, Airtel, TataSky, Cadbury, Fiat.
Fun facts: The office walls are decorated with Prasoon’s (then) six-year-old son’s drawings – of a cross between a caterpillar and dinosaur. The name Corcoise apparently came from the word Corcoise which is what his daughter used to call cockroaches at age three! That, he says, is the essence of Corcoise Films - the ability to think in a childlike and unrestrained manner.
SHOOT Anecdote: The team at Corcoise has a reputation for pranks. During a shoot, Prasoon worked with a then upcoming actress who took an interest in his driver who was extremely efficient. A month later, the driver revealed to Prasoon that the actress was looking for a driver like him. Prasoon took down the actress’ number and pretended to be a driver looking to work for her. He put on a fake accent, and cited made-up credentials. He even went to the extent of telling her that he was Abhishek Bachchan’s former driver, which made her feel nervous. Finally, he owned up!
CRACK Team: Prasoon Pandey (director), Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy (director).
Annual Turnover: Rs 120 crore (approx)
AMIT GUPTA
Hello Robot
Amit Gupta’s first memories of being interested in film-making go back to 1980. The techniques used to make films like Poltergeist and Star Wars before the advent of CGI piqued his interest and remained in his mind while he was in college as well. After attending a film-making programme in San Francisco, Amit directed commercials and music videos in both the United States and India. Slowly, he built a client base for himself and when he met business partner Kitisha Gaglani, the two formed Hello Robot in 2011.
USP: The production house prides itself on being a visual design and story-telling company. Being situated in two major markets in the world - Mumbai and Los Angeles - Hello Robot is a local in both markets and is able to seamlessly act as a bridge between both worlds. Having people who have studied the technique as founders also gives them an edge.
FAVOURITE WORK: Royal Enfield’s Ace Cafe to Madras Cafe where the team visually recreated a journey that spanned two continents. The Pulsar Play with Fire campaign which used pyrotechnics and real fire which the riders raced against. The Broadway musical for Indigo Airlines worked with the best Hollywood talent and despite the long shooting hours, the energy on the sets was at its peak. Working with hockey players for Star Sports’ Hockey India League ads too was a whirlwind adventure and made a great film on the fly. Also, work done for Nike, Google, Adidas, Samsung, Forest Essentials, Woodland Clothing and American TV series House of Lies and Desperate Housewives.
Fun Facts: The name for the production house came from Amit’s wife’s nickname for him, which she uses to greet him when he returns home from a non-stop roll at work. Giving back to the community, a portion of the firm’s profits go towards charitable organizations that focus on education for girls and other causes.
SHOOT Anecdote: During a shoot for the ‘No Ticket to Travel’ campaign for Woodland, what started as an adventure turned into a survival expedition. While shooting in the Cascade Mountain range, there was a snowstorm that knocked down trees and blocked their access road. With no cellphone service, and low supplies of food and gas, the team members took a chance and went off-road until they found a shop that was open and had food. From there, making their way through narrow winding dirt roads, and on a few hours of sleep, the team survived, and their film did too.
TOP Clients: Hero Indian Super League, Bajaj Pulsar, BBlunt, Royal Enfield, Woodland, Forest Essentials, Indigo Airlines.
CRACK Team: Amit Gupta (founder & producer), Kitisha Galani (founder & producer).
Annual Turnover: Rs 85 crore (approx)
PIYUSH RAGHANI
Like Minded People
Piyush’s career began in 1997 in the television sector, where he worked for 14 years before he was offered a chance to direct a feature film. From there on, there has been no looking back. Since then, Piyush has worked with some of the biggest production houses in the country, before eventually starting his own company, Like Minded People.
USP: They don’t bull**** or cut corners. They also have creative flexibility and are a very director-driven production house.
FAVOURITE WORK: A film the production house produced for Scotch Brite. Working on it, says Piyush, was a revolution and on a lighter note, he adds that the inspiration came over a drink with a friend from Bangalore.
Fun facts: Like Minded People is more a philosophy as the firm works with people who are compatible with the way it thinks and works.
Shoot Anecdote: While shooting for a commercial, a chandelier fell on Nikhil’s head, and he had a blackout for 30 seconds. Fortunately, there was no damage done, but it did cause the whole crew to worry and made for a good story to tell.
CRACK Team: Piyush Raghani (founder & director), Ruchi Mehta (executive producer), Puneet Bhatia (Producer), Minoti Ashar (associate producer), Rajesh Parikh & Pallavi Singh (finance).
Annual Turnover: Rs 18-20 Cr (approx.)
RAJESH RAMASWAMY
Karishma Lintas
Rajesh Ramaswamy, who heads Karishma Lintas, the film-making division of Lowe Lintas, has been associated with the firm for a long time and serves as the Group’s Creative Director. The division, he says, came about as the company realized there was a lot of in-house talent in the sector and this should be explored.
USP: Being closer to the clients gives them a better understanding of their requirements and business.
FAVOURITE WORK: Paperboat, Havells, Tanishq.
Fun facts: The team comprises a young group of people, all of whom get a chance to work in every related department and the division has a very open and free system.
Shoot Anecdote: While shooting the Paperboat commercials, the actor who was barely eight or nine, walked up to Rajesh and asked him what was the connection between him getting wet in the rain and a mango drink, to which Rajesh explained the concept of memories to him. He was also very adamant and particular that a pimple he had near his armpit not be seen on camera!
ANNUAL TURNOVER: Not disclosed.
NIKHIL RAO
Jamic Films
Right from a tender age, Nikhil Rao was fascinated by theatre and acting and therefore it was linear progression for him to get into film-making. He began his journey with Lowe in 1991, working there for 10 years before moving on to Chrome Communications. As he grew professionally and creatively, he wanted to figure out the ropes of a production set-up on his own and started Jamic Films. Looking back on the journey, he says it has been great fun.
USP: Nikhil and his team contribute more at the script level, as they understand the medium of advertising as well as acting.
Favourite Work: Each of his ad films holds special value for Nikhil. Some, because he has worked with friends, some because of the fun on the sets and some for their beauty. But, if he had to pick, his works with Freecharge, Radio Mirchi and Havell’s stand out.
Top Clients: Radio Mirchi, Amazon, AskMe.com, ICICI Bank, OLX.
Fun facts: Nikhil and his team are completely relaxed even on the sets despite all the chaos around them. The entire team loves football and can often be found playing FIFA at work.
Shoot Anecdote: There’s always a lot of fun and excitement on the sets, but while shooting the Hello Honey Bunny ad, it was interesting to see different actors interpret the tune in their own original ways.
CRACK TEAM: Nikhil Rao (director), Mekala K (producer), Akshay Uchil (producer).
Annual Turnover: Rs 25 crore (approx)
PRAKASH VARMA
Nirvana Films
Prakash Varma’s journey in the film industry began as an assistant in a Malayalam feature film. Bitten by the film-making bug, he moved on to work with VK Prakash and NP Prakash of Trends Ad Films in Bangalore. There, he met Sneha Iype and the two of them formed a partnership and started Nirvana Films in 2001.
USP: At Nirvana Films, the directors’ passion for what they do shines as their USP, as well as staying true to the core idea of the message. That, for them, is the most important aspect of advertising.
FAVOURITE WORK: As Varma looks back on his works, he says that his most memorable are the ones that audiences remember and relate to... such as his works with Hutch (now Vodafone) featuring the pug following the boy and the Vodafone Zoo Zoos. Tourism ad films too mean a lot to him.
TOP Clients: Rajasthan Tourism, Vodafone, Nestle, Ministry of Tourism.
Fun Facts: There are more dogs in Nirvana than employees! Well, almost! They have three dogs in the office, which Varma says is more like home. Though he is not superstitious, he believes in a higher power that exists and is humbled by what people’s good deeds have done for them.
Shoot Anecdote: Shoots are mostly tense, and there is a lot to accomplish in a limited time, but what makes it fun is working with great agencies, teams, clients and a dream cast.
CRACK TEAM: Prakash Varma (principal director & founder), Kishore Iyyar (director), Prashant Madan (director), Sneha Iype (founder and producer), Sunitha Ram (producer), Marjorie Rodrigues (producer).
Annual Turnover: Rs 95+ crore (Approx)
SHIRSHA GUHA THAKURTA
Oink Films
After stints with Little Lamb Films and Native, Shirsha Guha Thakurta founded Oink Films and donned the director’s hat in 2009. Since then, she has gone on to work with some of the biggest brands in the country as well as participated in the reputed Maine Media Workshop in the United States of America to further hone her skills.
USP: Shirsha chuckles as she says that being ‘pig-headed’ is her USP.
FAVOURITE WORK: Some of Shirsha’s most memorable works are for Tanishq, Himalaya and McDonald’s, each for their own reasons ranging from the crews she worked with, to the clients and the stories.
TOP Clients: Aircel, Tanishq, McDonald’s, Bajaj Allianz, GSK, Cadbury, P&G, Johnson & Johnson.
Fun Facts: The team at Oink Films has a tradition of grunting to relieve stress. Shirsha says that although it seemed weird at first, strangely it has even inspired an idea or two, though not necessarily good ones, but ideas nonetheless.
Shoot Anecdote: While filming an ad for McDonald’s Shirsha recollects an incident about food styling, it being no secret that most of the ‘food’ used for shoots isn’t real food. A child actor who didn’t know this attacked what he thought was ice-cream only to find out it wasn’t, which left him in tears thinking McDonald’s was a cheat! Another time, while shooting in Kolkata, the actor on the sets was so intoxicated that he couldn't stand. He was required to hold a cup of tea, but dropped the cup every time it was given to him. After waiting for two hours, there was no choice but to look for another actor. But no one was available in the middle of the day. So the make-up artiste recommended a friend of his, who was so cock-eyed that Shirsha didn't know what to do. She finally had to put reflections on his glasses post production so that both his eyes couldn’t be seen at the same time. The ad turned out well!
CRACK TEAM: Shirsha Guha Thakurta (director), Gautam Vaze (producer), Naved Punjabi (producer).
Annual Turnover: Rs 12 crore (approx)
