Air Selangor creates animated love story for Deepavali

Air Selangor and Reprise Digital has released a Deepavali film, titled "Oru Deepavali Kaathal Kathai". Translating to "A Deepavali Love Story", the film is shot in flashbacks, and follows protagonist Balan as he searches for the girl of his dreams. As he embarks on his quest, Balan witnesses the myriad ways in which Deepavali is celebrated, and learns to understand the different meanings of Deepavali for all those within the community. The film features seven different languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Punjabi. 

With the "romantic meets cute" aspect and motivations that follow as the central story, the backdrop of the animated film shows the idea of new experiences and togetherness, said Thanendran Thanesvaran, group commercial director and head of sports marketing at Reprise Digital. In fact, Reprise Digital realised that different Indian communities have its own unique way of celebrating Deepavali, and each culture might not necessarily know much about another. 

According to Thanesvaran, most festive films are often longer. However, the "Oru Deepavali Kaathal Kathai" film was deliberately kept to under three minutes. With a shorter film duration and the use of multiple languages, Reprise Digital wanted to keep the engagement up amongst all Malaysians. Though Reprise Digital originally wanted to shoot it live, Thanesvaran said the agency hoped "the animation and lively music that has fused together different genres of Indian musical influences is one that will resonate with all Malaysians". A+M has reached out to Air Selangor and Reprise for additional information regarding the film. 

"The greatest celebrations are those celebrated together," said Air Selangor's head of corporate communication, Elina Baseri. Portraying a boy-meets-girl story, the animated film transcends cultures while showcasing the vibrancy of Indian cultures. "From the story to the music used, the film breaks down cultural barriers and is a relatable one that Air Selangor hopes all of Malaysia will enjoy as much as we did in putting it together," explained Baseri. 

With Deepavali around the corner, companies are starting to release campaigns during the festival of lights. Recently, MyTOWN released its Deepavali campaign, titled Namma Aalu. Featuring singers Roshan Jamrock, Yunohoo, and Arvinder Raina, the music video acts as a communication tool that brings Malaysians together through the shared joy of Deepavali, as the country embraces the new normal. It also aimed to support fashion tenants. According to MyTOWN, the creative concept for the video came from wanting to celebrate the culture behind the festivities.

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