Scarecrow M&C Saatchi handcrafts campaign for Reliance Jewels’ Rannkaar

There is a belief that the true magic of Rann of Kutch, cannot be captured in a single day. So how do you capture the landscape, the craftsmanship, the intricacies, and the Kutch-inspired Fine Jewellery of Reliance Jewels, in a single campaign?

Scarecrow M&C Saatchi together with Reliance Jewels took up this delightful challenge by handcrafting an integrated ecosystem that captures everything from Rann that inspired the newest fine jewellery collection of Reliance Jewels for this Akshaya Tritya “Rannkaar”.

RANNKAAR – a rich tribute to the RANN of Kutch and its intricate KARIgari 

THE INTRICATE STRATEGY

“For Indians, jewellery is more than just a ‘tola’. It is a story, a heritage, a tradition and an emotion that evokes a pride of possession creating fond memories which then becomes a legacy for generations to come. That’s why every year, the team Reliance Jewels traverses through India to capture and bring to the fore the rich Indian culture, art & crafts and the rich heritage from different regions in every jewellery collection that we craft for our patrons across India. It started with Apurvam, inspired by Hampi; Utkala, inspired by the ancient art heritage of Odisha, and Kaasyam, dedicated to Banaras. The same tradition continues this year with Rannkaar, inspired by Rann of Kutch”, says Sunil Nayak, CEO Reliance Jewels. 

This year, the brand heard the clarion call of the only land of white sands in India – the land where every grain of sand has craftsmanship woven into it – the white Rann of Kutch, where there is KANN KANN MEIN KARIGARI. A land enriched by 35 living arts, each one a colourful tradition, preserved and practiced for generations. “Rannkaar“- where tradition is woven into life.

RANNKAAR CAMPAIGN – THE LARGEST EVER CANVAS OF RANN OF KUTCH

The larger-than-life film is about a girl who comes to Kutch as a tourist and becomes a traveller when she meets a Rabaran woman from a nomadic community of Kutch. The film follows them as they embark on a musical journey to discover the rich craftsmanship of Kutch while subtly capturing how each art form has inspired the craftsmanship of every jewellery piece from the RANNKAAR collection.

KARIGARI BEHIND RANNKAAR

RANNKAAR collection from Reliance Jewels celebrates the vibrancy of Kutch. The Design & the Product team of Reliance Jewels have truly encapsulated the rich art and crafts of Kutch in every design from the collection and then the Marketing Team alongside Scarecrow M&C Saatchi team and a team of renowned names in the industry have brought this Rannkaar campaign alive. Watch the film to hear what the Master Karigars behind the Rannkaar campaign has to say.

THE VISUAL KARIGARS BEHIND THE FILM

This masterpiece, set in the Rann of Kutch, is produced by Lens Flare Films and directed by the renowned Sachin Kotre (Facebook, Airtel, Lenovo, Jabong & Volkswagen fame). While Sejal Shah, one of the very few specialists who can capture both scale and intricacy in a single frame, is the Director of Photography. The master duo has enriched the film with authentic block prints of Ajrakh, mirror work of Lippan, paintings of Rogan, intricacies of Embroidery, Tie-and-dye art of Bandhani, and carvings of Woodwork. 

Saba Azad (Theatre director, musician, and an actress known for her roles in Dil Kabaddi, Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge & Rocket Boys) has given the soulful voiceover, while Yusuf Khan has skillfully edited the film.

THE AUDIO KARIGARS 

Instead of cliche Gujarati music, the vision was to create a soulful song and music that will showcase Kutch in all its glory. The brief was to reflect the Rann of Kutch’s grandeur and concurrently, the beautiful grace of its karigari, jewellery, and people, in both lyrics and music. 

For lyrics, there has been a conscious attempt by Manish Bhatt with inputs from Rajat Dholakia (Jhuku Sir), Sagar Goswami, and Aditya Gadhvi, to authentically capture the true essence of Gujarat and Kutch’s genuine folk genre.

If the scale is the ultimate goal, then who better to approach than the legendary and national award-winning composer, Rajat Dholakia (Jhuku Sir), who has composed music for over 9,000 ad films and movies like Firaaq, Mirch Masala, Maya Memsaab, 1942 A Love Story and Delhi 6 among others. A legend who knows instruments and nuances from Indian to Bulgarian music. 

In fact, the song has been composed in two different tempos – Pralamb (slow) and Drut (pace) Taal. While Pralamb reflects the vastness of the Kutch, Drut captures the grace, exuberance and festive soul of the people, and the land. 

The composition is brought alive by the sound design, mastering, and mixing by the renowned Bishwadeep Chatterjee (the four-time National Award winner known for movies like Chokher Bali, Lage Raho Munnabhai, Lafangey Parindey, Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Bajirao Mastani, Uri, Parineeta, 3 Idiots, Piku, Pink, Padmaavat and October, among others.) 

Since authenticity has been the North Star of the film, the song is sung by the best Gujarati and Kutchi folk singers – Aditya Gadhvi, Devraj Gadhvi (Nano Dero), and Vandana Gadhvi. The soulful chorus is rendered by Mausam Mehta, Malka Mehta, Isha Nair, and Reema Gaddani. 

The musicians and their instruments added the true spirit of Kutch to every byte of sound. The ensemble includes Dana Bharmal (Ghado Ghamelo & Morchhang), Noor Mohammad Sodha (Jodia Pawa), Babubhai (Rhythm), Hirabhai (Santaar & Manjira), and Daksh Dave (Other Percussions).

THE PRINT KARIGARS 

A film with this magnum opus deserves an equally powerful print campaign. India’s most famous fashion and lifestyle photographer Prasad Naik was the default choice for the model shoot in the middle of the white sands of Kutch. 

The jewellery shots were treated with equal reverence and skillfully executed by Jeetu & Kinnari. Each piece of jewellery has been shot on the backdrop of instruments that are actually used for the design inspiration. 

THE GRAPHIC KARIGARS 

The film and the song have the signature of Kutch. So do the logo, the graphics, and the typeface. The brand has a complete alphabet series, hand-traced and digitally enhanced to capture the art forms of Kutch – the peacock of Rogan painting, the design patterns of tattoos, the floral motifs of embroidery, and the mirror work of Lippan to name a few, and the RANNKAAR logo, as well as the design backdrop, continue the same.

“We got a delightful opportunity to showcase the holistic craftsmanship of the Rann of Kutch with a team of legends who understood the true visual and musical essence of the region”, says Manish Bhatt, the Founder Director of Scarecrow M&C Saatchi.

Celebrate the glory of Kutch brought alive by Reliance Jewels and lovingly handcrafted by a team of legendary director, composer, lyricists, as well as artists and musicians.