As a director, crafting the Incredible India campaign -"Find the Incredible You" was an experience unlike any other. We weren’t just shooting a tourism film; we were telling stories of transformation, self-discovery, and deep personal change.
It was about making the viewer feel India. Feel the air in the Himalayas, taste the spices in the markets, hear the silence of a monastery at sunrise. That was the vision. And cinematography was our biggest tool in making that happen.
HOW DID YOU ACHIEVE SUCH A CINEMATIC, LUXURIOUS FEEL THROUGH ALL THE FILMS IN THE CAMPAIGN?
I was inspired by Luxury commercials. For me, luxury advertising—especially perfume commercials—are about evoking emotion rather than just selling a product. They rely on a dreamlike quality, where the visuals don’t just inform, they seduce, they transport. That’s exactly the approach we took here. And my friend and the DOP Tapan Basu has put in his heart and magic into this campaign.
We used anamorphic lenses to create that soft, poetic depth, slow, lingering camera movements that feel like the camera itself is breathing, and a very specific use of natural light—golden-hour hues, long shadows, sunlit dust particles dancing in the air. Every frame was designed to be immersive and textured. We were crafting a cinematic journey.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE USE OF ANAMORPHIC LENSES, AND HOW DID IT ELEVATE THE VISUAL AESTHETIC ?
We needed something that could capture both the grandeur of India’s landscapes and the intimate, emotional moments of the protagonists. Anamorphic lenses were the perfect choice.
With their expansive aspect ratio, they allowed us to stretch the landscapes into something epic. The soft focus and elongated bokeh created a dreamlike quality, timeless, almost otherworldly. And the subtle lens flares. That was magic—especially next to water bodies or when shooting inside palaces with natural window light. It gave everything a sense of warmth, history, and depth.
I remember the way the anamorphic lens pulled focus was pure poetry. That’s the beauty of these lenses—they make everything feel like it belongs in a dream.
YOU MENTIONED ABOUT SHOOTING IN GREAT LIGHT. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT?
Light isn’t just about exposure—it’s about emotion.
For moments of realization and self-discovery, we shot in the golden hour, where the sun is low and the shadows are long. This gave everything a warm, nostalgic glow, almost as if the light itself was embracing the protagonist.
For moments of quiet introspection, we used soft window light or candlelight, creating an atmosphere of solitude and thoughtfulness. We played with contrast and shadow in cultural settings. Temples, palaces, and spice markets were often shot in natural light, but with deep shadows cutting across the frame—giving a sense of mysticism and depth.
Also some sequences like the one in the temple where we see the “theyyam” dancers, the light from the oil lamps reflecting on the wet floor was just stunning.
AND WE SEE A LOT OF EXPANSIVE LANDSCAPE SHOTS?
India’s landscapes are vast and diverse, and they play an important role in this campaign. The wide shot in “Maharani of Manhattan” where the protagonist is on a horse, on top of a hill. Or the full white snow covered Himalayas where we see the yogi. Even the super wide shots of architecture. These shots not only establish context, place the character in a specific location where the story is taking place but they actually open up in the mind of the audience when they see it.
And when these wide shots are combined with key story points like the last shot in “Yogi of the Racetrack” where we see him doing the namaste, tree pose, with the mighty Himalayas in the backdrop and the camera keeps pulling back. That’s really powerful. That’s the power of cinematography.
WE SEE A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL DRONE SHOTS?
Yes we used them not only to show scale but also for perspective. When a traveller stands on a mountain top and the drone pulls back, revealing the world around them. It’s a feeling. A moment of realization. A metaphor for expansion.
These weren’t just technical shots. They were adding so much to emotion.
CONTINUED FURTHER IN THE NEXT PART. "FIND THE INCREDIBLE YOU" DIRECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE PART 2.
WATCH THE FILM "YOGI OF THE RACETRACK"
WATCH THE FILM "THE MAHARANI OF MANHATTAN"
WATCH THE FILM "THE REINCARNATION OF Mr. & Mrs. Jones"
WATCH THE FILM "THE MASALA MASTERCHEF"