iWorld
Asian Paints returns with Season 9 of Where The Heart Is
MUMBAI: When doors open and guards drop, homes tend to speak louder than words. That idea sits at the heart of Asian Paints’ long-running storytelling property, Where The Heart Is, which has returned with its ninth season marking more than a decade of chronicling how India’s most recognisable faces actually live when the cameras are no longer rolling.
Launched at an event that blended reflection with quiet nostalgia, Season 9 was positioned not as a reinvention, but as a natural evolution of a platform that has steadily grown alongside changing lifestyles. Opening the season, Asian Paints MD and CEO Amit Syngle traced the origins of the property to the brand’s long-held belief that homes are emotional spaces rather than physical structures. Long before décor trends became social currency, Asian Paints had framed the home as a place of memory, identity and continuity, an idea that later crystallised into its iconic Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai philosophy.
That belief, Syngle noted, has only become more relevant with time. As lives get faster and more fragmented, homes remain the one space where people pause, reflect and express who they really are. Where The Heart Is was born from that insight, offering audiences a rare chance to see public personalities in their most private setting away from scripts, applause and performance.
Over the past decade, the digital-first series has grown into one of the brand’s most enduring content properties. It has crossed over 1.5 billion cumulative views, featured more than 50 personalities and opened the doors to over 60 homes across India and abroad. What began as an experiment in long-form digital storytelling has since become a reference point for branded content that prioritises emotion over interruption.
Season 9 builds on that legacy while introducing subtle but significant shifts. This year’s edition opens five distinctive homes, each rooted in a different geography, profession and phase of life. The new line-up includes Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, Gautam Gambhir, Keerthy Suresh with Antony Thattil, Archana Puran Singh alongside Parmeet Sethi, and entrepreneur Aman Gupta with Priya Gupta.
While the personalities may be familiar, the stories are deliberately intimate. The season leans away from celebrity spectacle and towards everyday details shared meals, favourite corners, inherited furniture, walls layered with memories. Homes are presented not as styled sets, but as living spaces shaped by routine, compromise and affection.
One of the most notable shifts this season is the focus on families. Previous editions often centred on individual journeys; Season 9 places equal emphasis on partners, children and shared decision-making. Viewers see how décor choices become conversations, how renovations reflect evolving priorities, and how personal taste is often negotiated rather than imposed.
The storytelling continues to be helmed by Motion co-founder Joshua Karthik Stories in who has been associated with the property since its early years. Speaking at the launch, Karthik described the series as an exercise in peeling back personas. Once the lights, makeup and public roles are stripped away, what remains is a quieter, more relatable version of the person revealed through the way they inhabit their home.
This year, that intimacy is heightened by a strong theme of transformation. Several episodes explore how spaces change over time through repainting, redesigning, or simply reimagining how a room is used. Rather than showcasing grand makeovers, the series highlights achievable changes: a wall turned into a memory archive, a neglected corner given new purpose, or textures and finishes used to reflect emotional milestones.
That focus mirrors a broader cultural shift. Indian homeowners today are increasingly invested in personalisation, seeing décor not as a one-time project but as an ongoing expression of self. Season 9 taps into this mindset, subtly positioning homes as evolving narratives rather than finished products.
Digitally, Where The Heart Is continues to straddle formats with ease. Designed for relaxed, on-demand viewing, the episodes lend themselves equally to OTT platforms and social feeds, where shorter clips travel widely. Asian Paints has deliberately kept the tone unhurried allowing stories to unfold organically, without the urgency or gloss of traditional advertising.
The result is content that feels observational rather than promotional. The brand’s presence is embedded in the process of transformation and storytelling, not foregrounded as a sales pitch. For viewers, the appeal lies in recognition, the quiet sense that while the homes belong to celebrities, the emotions within them are universal.
As Season 9 rolls out, Where The Heart Is reinforces its place as a cultural archive of sorts, documenting how Indian homes and the people within them continue to evolve. In doing so, Asian Paints once again underscores a simple but enduring truth: trends may change, platforms may shift, but the emotional language of home remains timeless.
iWorld
Crocs India ropes in Rakesh Bedi for quirky new digital campaign
Veteran actor brings humour and nostalgia to brand’s latest ‘Crocshake’ film.
MUMBAI: Crocs has decided to shake things up quite literally by teaming up with veteran actor Rakesh Bedi for its latest digital campaign. The campaign, conceptualised by One Hand Clap, cleverly taps into the current wave of nostalgia and character-led content. It features Rakesh Bedi, who is currently enjoying renewed popularity after Dhurandhar, in a series of increasingly chaotic yet humorous everyday situations.
At the centre of the film is a simple handshake that spirals into a chain of unexpected twists, culminating in the fun “Crocshake.” The light-hearted narrative highlights how ordinary social moments can turn into memorable ones, perfectly aligning with Crocs’ brand ethos of individuality, comfort, and self-expression.
Crocs India country manager Manoj Juneja said the campaign reflects the brand’s desire to stay culturally relevant. “This collaboration with Rakesh Bedi blends humour, nostalgia, and contemporary trends to create content that entertains and sparks conversations,” he noted.
Rakesh Bedi added, “What I loved about this campaign was how naturally the humour came through. It takes a simple, everyday situation and turns it into something completely unexpected. It’s always exciting to be part of something audiences can instantly connect with.”
The campaign builds on Crocs India’s ongoing strategy of creating relatable, digital-first storytelling that resonates with a wide audience while staying true to the brand’s playful personality.
In a crowded footwear market, Crocs continues to stand out by keeping things fun, comfortable, and conversation-worthy proving once again that sometimes all you need is a good shake (or Crocshake) to make your mark.
