GENRES
Over the years, I’ve worked in a lot of different genres, creating, developing and directing content. Here are some of the different genres I’ve worked in.
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
Over the last decade and a half, I’ve created marketing content for a lot of diffferent brands, from television commercials to online ads, Youtube channels and associated branded content, both online and broadcast.
Please click on the images for videos
Volvo CE EC200D Excavator Launch
Online Ad – 2022
I conceptualised, created and produced this series of online ads for Volvo India’s Construction Equipment department which wanted to launch its multitasking excavator EC200D showcasing its multiple abilities in an entertaining manner. The series, called Chacha-Bhatija Banter, won various awards, including the SABRE Award for Marketing to Men.
Directed by Anish Chacko
Financepeer
TVC for IPL Season – 2021
I conceptualised, created, wrote and executed this television commercial for NBFC client Financepeer over just 6 days, just in time for it to hit the new season of the Indian Premier League in 2021.
Directed by Ayushman Gupta
Nature’s Basket – Celebrate Life
Online Ad – 2020
I conceptualised and directed this online ad for Nature’s Basket detailing how good their instant online delivery system is. And this was shot during the pandemic lockdown, in 3 different cities (Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore), all done online, in real time, simultaneously and remotely.
Fullerton India – Rishta Sammaan Ka
Rebranding TVC – 2019
I executive produced this television commercial for NBFC client Fullerton India’s massive countrywide rebranding initiative, in order to make the brand look, sound and feel more “Indian”, despite its foreign sounding name.
Directed by Vibhu Puri
Meet the Faculty
A series of films for upGrad – 2020
I conceptualised, created and directed this series of films for edtech unicorn upGrad to showcase the top level, talented outside faculty that was a part of upGrad’s various programs
Stuck in a dead-end job?
Series of Online Ads for upGrad’s Career Counselling Initiative – 2018
While I was Creative Director for video at upGrad, I created and directed various videos for marketing as well; one of these was a series of ads to highlight upGrad’s amazing career counselling and placement services
REALITY TV
Some of the formational part of my career in the first decade of the millenium was spent working in the nascent Reality genre. After having earned my chops, I have created a whole raft of reality shows that were the first-in-India.
Please click on the images for videos
Nokia The Assignment
UTV Bloomberg – 2010
This was India’s first busines based reality show, produced by UTV for UTV Bloomberg.
I developed this show from a 1 line brief: to examine the differences in management practices between global MNCs and locally successful businesses. We decided to showcase this by taking an MBA-type executive from an MNC and putting him incharge of a successful local business for a day.
Produced by UTV
Vixture
ESPN Star Sports – 2010
This was India’s first gaming based reality show, way before gaming was even a thing in India.
The producers of this show were organisers of an offline countrywide tournament that produced champions in 5 different genres of games: FPS, MoBA, Racing, Fighting and Football. They then wanted these 10 gamers to compete against each other to determine the cross-genre gaming champion on India.
To add a bit more fun into the show, I decided to give the contestants added jeopardy – they will have to compete in the same contest in real life as they did in the game. So they raced in ATVs, fought each other in a dojo, played some indoor football etc.
Produced by Kosmos India
Truth, Love, Cash
Channel [V] – 2010
I was the supervising producer for this show that gave young people the choice between love and money.
Produced by Endemol Shine India
Sarkaar Ki Duniya
Real – 2008-09
I directed over a quarter of the episodes – including the crucial first episode – of this reality show that combined the gritty, gruelling struggle of Survivor with the cauldron of human drama of Bigg Boss.
Produced by Miditech
COMEDY
Over the course of the years, I’ve combined my passion with my profession to create a whole lot of comedy content. From OTT shows to Youtube content, this stuff has been on all sorts of platforms.
Please click on the images for videos
Unscipted – Jokes Aur Jugaad
2022
I created, developed and executed this format for an improv comedy show for the Indian OTT market. Produced by Vancouver-based content house Format Factory, this show was hosted by legendary comedian Suresh Menon and featured the talents of the Mumbai-based improv troupe Medium Sized Improv, with Neville Bharucha and Shantanu Anam.
Directed by George Varghese
Worst Job Interview
Youtube Channel: Mainduck
While I was Creative Director at O4 Digital, I created a whole bunch of shows for their flagship comedy Youtube channel called Mainduck. Among them was this, called Worst Job Interview. It was supposed to be footage of really bad real life job interviews, which were, of course, scripted and directed.
Aunty Sutra
Youtube Channel: Mainduck
I created and directed many episodes of this series which involved a regular auntyji who comes and explains various positions from the Kama Sutra. It has to watched to be believed.
Sexologist Bawa
Youtube Channel: Being Cyrus
I directed the Youtube channel of the inimitable Cyrus Broacha and, frankly, have never laughed so hard at a shoot. We had shows like:
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Sexologist Bawa – which is exactly what it sounds like – a Parsi Sexologist
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Masterji Broacha (the world’s weirdest teacher)
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Pot of the Day (taking seriously the idea that the best thoughts come to you when you’re on the pot)
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Cyrus Tells You How (the world’s worst how-to videos)
Youtube Channel: Politically Incorrect News Television
I wrote, directed and presented a Youtube channel that expressed my rather sarcastic and satirical worldview and my disinclination towards political correctness.
It had 2 shows:
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The Impolitically Correct News: a satirical news show
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What the F*ck is Wrong With…: a series of rants
GAMING
Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve loved gaming, from playing Tetris on a Gameboy to Prince of Persia on my dad’s PC, and I’ve never stopped loving it. So given my abiding love for the subject, I’ve created a bunch of content for gaming.
Please click on the images for videos
Vixture
ESPN Star Sports – 2010
This was India’s first gaming based reality show, way before gaming was even a thing in India.
The producers of this show were organisers of an offline countrywide tournament that produced champions in 5 different genres of games: FPS, MoBA, Racing, Fighting and Football. They then wanted these 10 gamers to compete against each other to determine the cross-genre gaming champion on India.
To add a bit more fun into the show, I decided to give the contestants added jeopardy – they will have to compete in the same contest in real life as they did in the game. So they raced in ATVs, fought each other in a dojo, played some indoor football etc.
Youtube Channel: Gamertorium
My brother Satish, my friend Vaibhav and I were avid gamers back in the day (still are), and we decided to use our creative resources to create a gaming based channel, where we gave the latest news about gaming, reviewed new games and generally had a lot of fun with doing it.
Lenovo Gaming Tips
Youtube
I created this series of videos for the launch of Lenovo’s Y Series gaming laptops in India. I suggested to the client that instead of direct selling through ads, we could attract the primary target audience for the laptop – professional and aspiring gamers – by giving them a tips on how to play their chosen game really well and take their…err… game to the next level.
SPORTS
I’ve loved sports – all sorts of sports, every type of sports – since I was very young. Having played a few back in the day, I moved to creating content about them in my professional life. Here are some of the types of sports-based content I created.
Please click on the images for videos
Speed
TEN Sports – 2003-2007
This was an AFP for JK Tyre, folliwng the National Racing Championships across the country. We covered the rise of champion racers Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, the development of engines and cars from Formula Maruti to the modern-looking Formula Rolons and the evolution of the racing culture in India.
We also followed the JK Tyre National Karting Championship that travelled to multiple cities across the country to find emerging racing talent from India.
Production House: Wildtrack Productions
Go Man United!
Youtube Channel: Airtel
As a branding exercise, we created various playlists for Airtel, to promote their sponsorship of sporting activities. Since they had a tie-up with Manchester United, we created a series that explored the legendary club. Among these was a pre- and post-match analysis of every match Man United played in the 2012-13 season, with comedian Sahil Khattar – in invetarate Man Utd fan – presenting as the Devoted Devil.
Airtel Grid Girls
Youtube Channel: Airtel
Since Airtel was also sponsoring the Indian Grand Prix in 2012 and 2013, we created a series of videos that demystified Formula 1 and some of its technical aspects for the lay viewer, through a show called Airtel Grid Girls.
Apna Silly Point
Youtube Channel: Airtel
Similarly, since Airtel was at the time sponsoring the Indian cricket team (2010-14), we created a series of post-match discussions among regular Indian and cricket fans during the World T20 2012.
Run Nishant Run!
Youtube Channel: Airtel
Airtel sponsors the Delhi Half Marathon, so we created a lot of content around running and fitness. My favourite was a show where we took a lazy man and paired him up with an intense phuysical trainer to get him in shape to run the Delhi Half Marathon in 8 weeks.
Wonder of wonders, he did it, and that too under 2 hours!
