"The Surf Excel ad came quite suddenly into my life. To be honest, I had been thinking for a long time that I hadn’t worked with kids. I love working with children, but there was a phase when I was doing back-to-back commercials with them, and I reached a point where I thought, ‘I’m done. How many kid commercials will I make?’ Then one day, I was sitting and thinking that it had been such a long time since I had done one, and cut to three days later, this Surf Excel commercial landed in my lap.
I was very excited, especially because of the idea. It spoke about bringing people together. The basic idea was that while we all celebrate Holi in our comfort spaces, there are people watching from afar, wishing their lives could be like that. I could relate to that emotion because, even as a child, when I would see people celebrating Holi in clubs while passing by on my cycle or scooter, I would think, ‘One day, I will party like that.’
During the process, we made a lot of additions, especially during the PPM, when the main client herself edited the script. It took a beautiful shape because of the collaboration between everyone. The preparation happened in very little time because the film had to be released before Holi. Finding the right location was a big task for me because beautiful frames motivate me to create something beautiful. Luckily, our casting director found us a great location and an amazing bunch of kids. The first few hours were difficult because the kids simply wanted to enjoy the water. Some were scared, others reacted differently, but once we started playing Holi and brought them into our world, everything fell into place.
Continuity was a big challenge because they kept getting covered in colour, which meant eight or nine costume changes. Time was another. After the first two or three hours slipped away, I realised I woldn’t be able to finish the film in a day without compromising. I told my producer, Kush Malhotra, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t finish this film today.’ The location was only available on Sundays, but somehow the team worked its magic and got us another two hours the following day. Those two hours made all the difference.
Even then, I kept asking for more. I wanted rain, although it wasn’t planned. The team found a garden pipe, punched holes into Bisleri bottles and created ‘rain’ on the spot. Thanks to our DOP, Malay Prakash, and the entire crew, we achieved what I had imagined.
The biggest surprise came with the music. Everyone initially wanted something contemporary, but I wasn’t connecting with that direction. While randomly searching for folk Holi music, I found a song that instantly felt right. I said, ‘This is the song.’ We flew to Lucknow to record it with the singer, and that experience itself was inspiring. The music turned out well. The response was largely positive—Harshad (Rajadhyaksha), Kainaz (Karmakar), Chief Creative Officers, Ogilvy Mumbai—and the clients loved it, and in the end, they released the exact cut I had made.”
IMPACT’S PICK
‘Daag Achhe Hai’ - Holi
ABOUT HEMANT BHANDARI
Hemant Bhandari, co-founder and director at Chrome Pictures, is known for crafting emotionally resonant stories rooted in everyday life. Hailing from Delhi, and now based in Mumbai, Bhandari is the happiest when making films. Over the years, he has directed acclaimed campaigns for leading brands including Surf Excel, Google, Asian Paints, Tanishq, Pidilite and Amazon. His films are characterised by strong human insights, understated emotions and cinematic realism, making him one of advertising’s most respected storytellers.
BEST WORK
‘Iss Dil Ke Aage Sabki Haar Hai’ - Sunfeast Mom’s Magic
‘Love is in the Little Things’ – BlueStone
CAMPAIGNS I LOVE
‘New Neighbor’ – Cadbury
‘Shaadi ka Ghar’ – Dettol
