Nikhil Rathod, writer and director
No storyboard artists were harmed in the making of this folio.
The frames are AI. The shots, the script and the work are not.
Scroll to begin
SC 01Hello World
Fade in:
Int. your location. At this time.
A desk lamp clicks on top of your desk. Past the light, you are seen seated at your desk. The calm before the storm that briefs, campaigns and projects are going to create. You already know the fix, and you are trying to find it before the tsunami hits. You look up, even though you don't need to. You've had this conversation with many people, including yourself.
You (V.O.)
Just go talk to Nikhil, they all told me. He is a bit of a character, but might be what you are looking for! If only they'd also prepared me for exactly how much of a character he'd be.
Cut to: a silhouette stepping in from the shadows.
Title card: NIKHIL RATHOD · Storyteller · Writer · Director · ACD
Cut to: a man with mid-shoulder-length wavy hair, a grey streak at the front left, very little trimmed beard except the patch at his chin, and glasses. He looks up, sitting across the table in the shadows.
Nikhil
Things I'm known for? Being high-concept without losing the human. A loud voice without being messy. Give me a brief, a blank page, or a set and I'll find the narrative that makes the whole thing worth making.
Keep scrolling. The room stretches. He stays put.
CUT TO:
SC 02Backstory
Cut to:
Int. the room. Later.
You look at Nikhil, seated in front of you. Four words pop up above him in thin air.
STORYTELLER
WRITER
DIRECTOR
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Cut to:
Cut to: over his shoulder.
Your attention turns to a poster behind him. It reads:
5 Years with Data.
4.5 with words and visuals.
3 decades of stories.
Along with it, the logos of OWLED Media and Crunch Media.
Cut back to: your view of Nikhil.
You
I expected you to be…
Nikhil
Older? Younger?
Funnier? Smarter?
Cut to: you look down at his file.
A sheet in a folder, with notes:
- Thinks in systems. Feels in stories.
- Known for making brands exciting and a blockchain campaign feel human.
- Tolerance for chaos: unusually high.
- Tongues: English, Hindi, Kannada, Spanish.
- Hardest brief: a six-year-old who isn't paying attention.
Move your cursor over the file to light it. On a phone, keep scrolling and the light moves down the page.
Cut back to: your view. Nikhil in sight.
You
Less dramatic.
CUT TO:
The Case Files
CASE 01 · OKAYA
NATIONAL AD CAMPAIGN
A heist that goes gloriously wrong, because the only thing more reliable than a perfectly laid plan is an Okaya inverter causing the plan to fall apart.
RESULTOkaya moved from 7th to top 3 across India's battery and inverter combo category.
ROLEIdea and script. Creative associate through production and post.
CASE 02 · SERO
REBRAND CAMPAIGN
A father watching. A mother supporting. A stranger becoming something more. The rebrand didn't sell a product. It planted the brand inside life's quietest, most human moments.
RESULTWebsite footfall up about 40%.
ROLEIdea and script. Lead creative through production and post.
CASE 03 · WATERFIELD ADVISORS
BRAND LAUNCH FILM
A chess match between generations. Because the wealthiest families don't talk about succession, they plan and educate it out.
RESULTBest Marketing Campaign 2023, WealthBriefing Asia.
ROLEWriter.
CASE 04 · FYERS × BANGALORE CITY POLICE
CSR CAMPAIGN
Scammers don't pick pockets, they pick fears. A mirror held up to the behaviours that make people vulnerable, turning financial literacy into something people actually wanted to watch.
HIGHLIGHTMade for the cinema screens in partnership with Bangalore City Police.
ROLEWriter, director and creative director.
CASE 05 · CORAL AI
BRAND LAUNCH FILM
Two hospital back-office workers, one fax machine and a day of paperwork that refuses to move. By the end of it, they've lost their cool, their calm and their composure, and found the one thing that fixes all three.
HIGHLIGHTThe brand's launch film, with an all-American cast in a Jim Halpert meets Jake Peralta register.
ROLEDirector.
SC 03The Case Files
Int. the same room. Dusk.
A CRT TV switches on.
You (V.O.)
As I looked on, Nikhil went on to show some of his past cases. His reel, he called it.
Reel 01Okaya, national ad campaign
LOGLINE A heist that goes gloriously wrong, because the only thing more reliable than a perfectly laid plan is an Okaya inverter causing the plan to fall apart.
RESULT Okaya moved from 7th to top 3 across India's battery and inverter combo category.
ROLE Idea and script. Creative associate through production and post.
You (V.O.)
I watched a perfect plan fall apart and I was on the inverter's side.
The screen switches. The film.
Reel 02Sero, rebrand campaign
LOGLINE A father watching. A mother supporting. A stranger becoming something more. The rebrand didn't sell a product. It planted the brand inside life's quietest, most human moments.
RESULT Website footfall up about 40%.
ROLE Idea and script. Lead creative through production and post.
You (V.O.)
Then heartwarming moments, almost as if stolen from someone's lives.
The screen switches. Film one of three.
Film two.
Film three.
Reel 03Waterfield Advisors, brand launch film
LOGLINE A chess match between generations. Because the wealthiest families don't talk about succession, they plan and educate it out.
RESULT Best Marketing Campaign 2023, WealthBriefing Asia.
ROLE Writer.
You (V.O.)
Things got richer, and somehow more fierce.
The screen switches. The film.
Reel 04FYERS × Bangalore City Police, CSR campaign
A different kind of case file.
LOGLINE Scammers don't pick pockets, they pick fears. A mirror held up to the behaviours that make people vulnerable, turning financial literacy into something people actually wanted to watch.
HIGHLIGHT Made for the cinema screens in partnership with Bangalore City Police.
ROLE Writer, director and creative director.
You (V.O.)
Then, they got scarier.
The screen switches. Film one of two.
Film two.
Reel 05Coral AI, brand launch film
A lighter tone.
LOGLINE Two hospital back-office workers, one fax machine and a day of paperwork that refuses to move. By the end of it, they've lost their cool, their calm and their composure, and found the one thing that fixes all three.
HIGHLIGHT The brand's launch film, with an all-American cast in a Jim Halpert meets Jake Peralta register.
ROLE Director.
You (V.O.)
Until, I found something that made me chuckle.
The screen switches. The film.
Reel 06More like these
The screen switches one last time.
You (V.O.)
Beyond, there were a lot more. Equally passionate. Completely different. I could have seen them. All it needed was one click.
CUT TO:
SC 04The call sheet
Int. the page, the set, the pitch room. Always.
Four departments, one person walking between them.
WRITING Ad films, branded content, multi-episode series, celebrity briefs. In Hinglish, Hindi and English.
DIRECTION On-set film direction, pre-production, casting, celebrity shoot creative direction, showrunner-style creative leadership.
STRATEGY Campaign ideation, brief decoding, pitching, performance-aligned storytelling.
ON SET End-to-end production, storyboarding, shot breakdowns, cross-functional team leadership, social-format content direction. Independent short film direction (IFP 2024).
You (V.O.)
I never visited his sets. I didn't need to. The trophies to come would be enough.
CUT TO:
SC 05The Trophies
Int. trophy case wall. Night.
One after the other, a glass trophy lights up, each engraved with one brand.
CUT TO: BLACK.
SC 06The Card
Cut to: black.
Int. the same room. Dead of night.
Under an overhead focus light, Nikhil slides a visiting card over to you.
Nikhil (O.S.)
You know, your briefs are piling up. We should talk. Then knock them out of the park.
Cut to: your view as you pick up the card. A rich colour palette. His name, his email, his phone number, a LinkedIn monogram and a link to his CV, all embossed in high premium quality.
You (V.O.)
Look at that cold slate-gray coloring, the blood-soaked burgundy, and the deep obsidian black... Oh my God, it even has an embossing. His name. Nikhil Rathod. With an absolute, merciless premium authority. Clean digital coordinates... an email, a sharp LinkedIn monogram, a flawless link straight to his CV.
You (V.O.)
(A heavy, breathless pause. The final realization hits like a physical blow.)
I need to reach out to him. Now!
Cut to: you look up. All you have are four buttons.
Storyboards: generated with Gemini. Shot design, script and direction: Nikhil Rathod.
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