"It was an interesting journey because my producer, Abhishek Ghosh, along with OR Radhakrishnan, Sneh (Nihalani) and I, had been trying to collaborate for quite some time, but nothing was really working out. Then one day, they narrated this script to me and the moment I heard it, I realised this was something I had to do. Even though the narration happened over a Zoom call, the emotion translated so beautifully that it reached my heart. Once I came on board, I naturally brought my own perspective to it. I narrated my vision to Radha, Sneh and to our client, Sandeep Goel and thankfully, they loved what I had in mind. After that, everything fell into place. The budgets and teams were aligned. We reached out to the only person I could imagine in the lead role, Gajraj Rao. He immediately agreed.
We shot the entire film in Lucknow, travelling there twice—once for the recce and then for the shoot. One of my fondest memories is honestly the food. My team kept bringing incredible Lucknowi food throughout the schedule, so while we were shooting, we were constantly eating. It became one of the happiest parts of the experience.
Working with Gajraj-ji was simply wonderful. He’s such a calm, humble person. Even though he’s a director himself, he completely surrendered to the story. That level of trust and commitment was unbelievable. Radha and Sneh were equally wonderful collaborators, and our cinematographer, Shayo, brought some incredibly beautiful frames to the film. It truly became a collaborative effort.
Once we wrapped up the shoot, Abhishek edited the offline version. When we showed it to Sandeepji, he called a few people from the office to watch it together. Everybody had tears in their eyes. That’s when we knew we had a good film in our hands. Then, Tajdar Junaid came on board for the music. We’re really grateful because he doesn’t do too many advertisements, but he wanted to be a part of this one. The music he created was simply outstanding. Our sound designer, Anish John, also did a phenomenal job, while several actor friends, including Akash Mukhija, Priyanka and a few others from ‘Raakh’, lent their voices to different characters in the film.
The most incredible moment, however, was the day the film was released. I had no idea it would receive such love. Within half an hour of it going live, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. For the next two days, I had to recharge it four or five times because it was constantly vibrating with messages. People weren’t just appreciating the film; they were sharing their own stories, memories and even trauma. That emotional connection was incredibly special.
As for Gajraj-ji, every moment with him felt magical. Every take brought something new. I especially remember one wide shot where he was dancing. I felt we needed a small pause in the movement. In the very next take, he instinctively stopped for a second, caught his breath and then continued dancing. That tiny improvisation transformed the moment completely. We all looked at each other and knew magic had happened. Honestly, every frame with Gajraj Rao felt like that.”
IMPACT’S PICK
‘Band, Baaja Bitiya’ - Goel TMT
ABOUT PROSIT ROY
Prosit Roy is a filmmaker whose work spans advertising, feature films and long-form series, including Pari, Paatal Lok Season 1 and Raakh. His acclaimed commercials for brands such as Pampers, Amazon and Goel TMT reflect the same cinematic sensibility that defines his narrative work. Roy believes storytelling is most fulfilling when it evokes emotion and raises questions that stay with the audience. A meticulous visual craftsman, he is like a kid in a candy store whenever he discovers a beautifully composed frame.
BEST WORK
‘It Takes Two’ – Pampers
‘Kheer’ - Amazon
CAMPAIGNS I LOVE
‘Golden Minute’ - Johnson’s Baby
‘Tree to Treat’ - Natural’s
