&pictures launches brand film 'Sapnon Ki Udaan', conceptualised by Scarecrow

The film has been directed by Nagesh Kukunoor.

Last year, Zee Network, the India-based media conglomerate, adopted a common brand philosophy - 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is My Family). Even so, almost all its channels have their respective brand thought and positioning.

Zee's recently launched Hindi movie channel, &pictures, has also created a distinct flavour for itself with the launch of a brand film titled 'Sapnon Ki Udaan'.

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the brand film has been conceptualised by Scarecrow Communications.

'Sapnon Ki Udaan' has, for the most part, been shot in Dabri, a village situated at a distance of around 90 kilometers from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Other parts have been shot in Mumbai. Instead of creating a set somewhere in a studio, an entire village was set up in Dabri, to capture the real essence and strife of the villagers.

The brand film conveys the thought, 'Hum Indians jo aasman mein ude, zameen se jude reh kar' - the consumer is a self-assured Indian who dreams of making it big while staying rooted to his values.

Set against the backdrop of Rajasthan, Kukunoor has woven the story of a young man who steps out of his comfort zone to make a living, a move that could be interpreted as selfish, or shall we say, individualistic? However, he returns with ideas and solutions that better the lifestyle of everyone attached to his childhood.

According to the channel, this is an interesting representation by a new-age director, something that reflects the ideology and essence of the brand.

Bharat Ranga, chief content and creative officer, ZEEL says, "We have a very exciting yet grounded brand film that reflects the very philosophy of &pictures - providing differentiated content to the viewers. We wanted to come up with a fresh offering that targets the changing consumption trends of our viewers, who are still rooted in their customs." The hope, he explains, is to touch and inspire the lives of the channel's viewers.

Ruchir Tewari, cluster programming head, ZEEL, explains, "Sapnon Ki Udaan is not a content promise alone. It's a broader positioning for the ambition and success of people... while they remain grounded. The philosophy is a mindset that most can relate to. It's something that will resonate well with them."

The brand film is running on various channels of the network. Tewari also told afaqs! that there will be extensive marketing efforts to communicate the brand thought.

Talking about the film, Manish Bhatt, founder director, Scarecrow Communications, says, "New age Indians are ambitious; they don't follow protocols blindly. They do things that can help them succeed but they also remain down to earth. Zee, as a group, is a traditional company that has a patriotic spark in it and hence the channel (&pictures) has adopted this philosophy."

Ultimately, the task of a movie channel is to successfully narrate stories - originally created for the big screen - through the small screen. The cinematic value and the essence of the films ought to be retained in the process. So, for a new-age interactive movie channel that has been designed especially for new-age Indians, creating a brand film (laden with drama, emotions and grandeur) seemed like the the best way to present a movie-like story in a few minutes.

The music for this film has been composed by Ronit Chaterji and the song 'Chali re doli' has been sung by Divya Kumar.