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Vanilla Films, creates a poetic brand film rooted in the present with ‘Kasturi’. The film was shot on 16 mm film to capture a unique visual texture for Kalavarni Jewels, breaking the clutter of usual fashion features. Directed by co-founder of Vanilla Films, Chintan Pandav, the film’s message of “Tumhari Chamak Tum Ho” shines through.
Kalavarni Jewels, with their heirloom polki settings, classic craftsmanship and contemporary sensibilities, looked to connect with women on a more personal and emotive level. Their rich attention to detail demanded a storytelling approach just as unique. That’s where Vanilla Films stepped in with Kasturi, a concept born from Saint Kabir Das’s timeless couplet about the deer that roams the forest searching for the source of a fragrance that ultimately lies within itself. The idea beautifully mirrored Kalavarni’s philosophy: that true beauty and brilliance come from within.
In an age where high-fashion films often rely on abstract imagery and ornamental visuals, director Chintan Pandav sought to create something different, a world that felt rooted yet refreshingly modern. The film follows a woman lost in contemplation, momentarily distracted by a glimmer of light. As she chases this light, her inner voice begins to question her sense of identity — Who am I? By the end, she realizes that the light she seeks is, in fact, her own.
Emotion, rather than spectacle, would drive the narrative. To capture this delicate balance, the team chose to shoot on 16mm film, a decision that gave Kasturi its distinct aesthetic while grounding it in authenticity. “The grain, warmth and depth of celluloid lend the narrative a timeless charm. It bridges the past and present beautifully, contemporary in tone yet rooted in nostalgia. This choice not only set the film apart but also mirrored the brand’s own balance of modernity and tradition,” says Pandav about the creative choice. Filmed at a heritage palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the brand’s essence of serving a new generation of women in the backdrop of a traditional locale, sets the tone for all future storytelling.