Works/Case Study

AI Commercial Series

Sunder Masala

One family. Five spices. A micro-series built entirely with AI.

Client: Sunder MasalaStudio: RSENL AI FilmsDelivered: Sep – Oct 2026

Finished films

one per product

Recurring characters

same faces across every film

220+

AI-generated shots

picked down to ~2.5 min on screen

~6 wks

First board to last film

19 Sep → 28 Oct 2026

1–6 days

Storyboard to first cut

per episode

35+

Review cuts delivered

revisions often turned in a day

The brief

Ads people would watch like episodes.

Sunder Masala, a spice brand trading since 1975, wanted ads that felt like a show rather than a string of separate product spots. Instead of five unconnected commercials, we built a small story world: the Sunder family. Sudha ji runs the kitchen, Ramesh ji eats at the office, Pihu is a food vlogger and Bunty is always hungry. Each spice gets its own episode, led by one family member.

Each film runs 23 to 38 seconds and follows one structure: a hook, a series of wrong guesses, a twist and a product payoff. The characters are stylised and animated, and the food and packs are photoreal. Every film is in Hindi with Hinglish taglines, and four of the five were built vertical-first for Reels and Shorts.

The cast

Meet the Sunder family

Four AI characters whose faces, wardrobe and personalities stay the same in every frame of every episode, the way an actor's would across a season.

Sudha ji

The mother · heart of the kitchen

Purple kurta, gajra in her hair, gold jhumkas and bangles

Lead in Ep 01 & 02 · mentioned in Ep 05

Ramesh ji

The father · office tiffin loyalist

Olive-green shirt, rectangular glasses, thick moustache

Lead in Ep 05 · family table in Ep 02

Pihu

The daughter · aspiring food vlogger

Pink tee, denim dungarees, twin pigtails

Lead in Ep 03 · family table in Ep 02

Bunty

The son · permanently hungry

Red-and-white tee, blue cargo shorts, spiky hair, red sneakers

Lead in Ep 04 · family table in Ep 02

The series

Five episodes, one formula

Hook, escalation, twist, payoff. Every film tells a complete story in under 40 seconds and finishes on the product.

EPISODE 01

Mirchi Hai. Mazaak Nahin.

Sunder Lal Mirch (Red Chilli Powder)

Sudha ji 23 sec 9:16 vertical

Mid-cooking, Sudha ji's kitchen suddenly feels like a furnace. She blames the loo outside, shuts the window and turns the fan to full, but she's still sweating. The real cause is in the kadhai.

Story beats

Hook · 0–4s
A spoonful of red chilli goes into the kadhai and Sudha ji suddenly feels the heat.
Escalation · 4–15s
Three wrong guesses: the hot wind, the open window, the slow fan.
Twist · 15–19s
Her eyes move from the fan to the window to the stove, and the steaming kadhai gives it away.
Payoff · 19–23s
Pack reveal, a knowing smile, and the line "Mirchi hai. Mazaak nahin."

Dialogue

Silent comedy told through Sudha ji's expressions, closing on a VO and super

Production notes

18-shot storyboard locked on 21 Sep; first cut delivered 22 Sep
Average shot length about 1.4 seconds
3 versions to final

Tagline: Mirchi Hai. Mazaak Nahin.

EPISODE 02

Déjà Vu at Dinner

Sunder Chaat Masala

The whole family 38 sec 16:9 master + 9:16 cut

Sudha ji serves paneer tikka and the family says "Mmm… mast hai." She smiles. Dip to black, and the same moment plays again, then again. Each loop makes her more suspicious, until she works out what's really winning them over.

Story beats

Hook
A warm family dinner. The praise lands and Sudha ji answers "Hehe… thank you."
Loop
Dip to black and the scene repeats. Same plate, same "mast hai", with small changes each time.
Twist
Her "Thank you…?" turns into a raised eyebrow, then the moment she realises.
Payoff
A sprinkle of chaat masala over the tikka, the hero jar and "Sunder ka Masala, Har Niwala Nirala."

Dialogue

"Mmm… mast hai."

"Hehe… thank you."

"Thank you…?"

"Atpata laga na? Chatpata bhi lagega."

Production notes

Four characters share one frame, with the faces held consistent through every loop
Started as a vertical film, then re-boarded and mastered in 16:9
69 generated shots for a 38-second film

Tagline: Sunder ka Masala, Har Niwala Nirala.

EPISODE 03

Shahi Hai.

Sunder Shahi Garam Masala

Pihu 24 sec 9:16 vertical

Pihu starts her food vlog: "Hi guys! Aaj main ye dish try karne wali hoon…" One bite of dum aloo turns her into a royal princess, complete with tiara and lehenga, reviewing the dish like a connoisseur. Then the spell breaks.

Story beats

Hook
Selfie-style vlog intro, filmed the way creators actually talk to camera.
Transformation
First bite, a big-eyed reaction, and a magic swirl turns her into a royal.
Royal review
"Warm aroma… layered flavour… and the finish? Exquisite."
Payoff
Back in dungarees, she shrugs and says "Shahi hai." Cut to the pack.

Dialogue

"Hi guys! Aaj main ye dish try karne wali hoon…"

"Hmm… beautifully balanced."

"And the finish? Exquisite."

"Shahi hai."

Production notes

The same character in two full looks, everyday and royal, with an on-screen transition between them
The dish was swapped from paneer to dum aloo in the storyboard before production
Takes a creator-video format and turns it into a short story

Tagline: Shahi Asar. Har Niwala Niraala.

EPISODE 04

Thele Wala Swaad

Sunder Jeeravan (Poha Masala)

Bunty 37 sec 9:16 vertical

Bunty dreams of poha from the street stall in Indore. He wakes up, dresses fast, takes coins from the drawer and creeps down the hallway to go to the thela. Then the smell stops him. Mom's poha is already on the table.

Story beats

Hook
A dream sequence at a street stall, shot in the photoreal style.
Heist
He dresses quickly, takes the coins and tiptoes out like he's on a mission.
Twist
He sniffs the air, freezes and turns. Poha at home.
Payoff
He clears the bowl, leans back happy, and we see "Thele wala swaad… ab ghar ke pohe mein."

Dialogue

Mostly visual, built on Bunty's reactions, with a VO tagline

Production notes

Moves between a photoreal street-food world and the animated home world
Longest story arc of the five, set across bedroom, hallway and dining room
11 cuts to final, most revisions turned in a day

Tagline: Thele Wala Swaad… Ab Ghar Ke Pohe Mein.

EPISODE 05

Yeh Dal Hai Ya Jaadu?

Sunder Shahi Hing

Ramesh ji 25 sec 9:16 vertical

Office lunch break. Ramesh ji opens his tiffin and sighs, "Phir se dal-chawal?" Then the hing tadka hits him. A few spoonfuls later he's lost in it and has scraped the dal clean, forgetting the rice. Sudha ji won't be happy.

Story beats

Hook · 0–3s
The tiffin opens on the same old dal-chawal.
Aroma · 3–6s
Steam rises and his eyes widen. "Oho… kya khushboo hai!"
Bliss · 6–13s
Hearts and sparkles: "Yeh dal hai ya jaadu?"
Payoff · 13–25s
Empty dabba, panic, "Sudha ji daantengi!", then the hero jar and VO.

Dialogue

"Phir se dal-chawal?"

"Oho… kya khushboo hai!"

"Yeh dal hai ya jaadu?"

"Arre, chawal reh gaye! Sudha ji daantengi!"

VO: "Tadka ho Shahi Hing ka, toh dal pe dil aa hi jaaye!"

Production notes

24-second, 18-shot vertical storyboard, timed to the frame
Refers back to Sudha ji, so the films feel like one connected series
First cut 2 days after the storyboard revision

Tagline: Tadka Ho Shahi Hing Ka, Toh Dal Pe Dil Aa Hi Jaaye!

Storyboard to screen

18 shots in 25 seconds

Episode 01 shot by shot, as boarded. Every shot was generated as a finished keyframe with a timecode before animation, so the brand approved real frames and real pacing, not sketches.

Shot

Time

Beat

Direction

0:00–0:02

Comfortable cooking0:00–0:02 · Sudha ji cooks calmly, pack visible nearby

Sudha ji cooks calmly, pack visible nearby

0:02–0:04

Mirch goes in0:02–0:04 · Slow-motion spoonful into the kadhai

Slow-motion spoonful into the kadhai

0:04–0:05.5

First reaction0:04–0:05.5 · She pauses and feels unusually warm

She pauses and feels unusually warm

0:05.5–0:07

Sweat0:05.5–0:07 · Wipes her forehead and blames the outside

Wipes her forehead and blames the outside

0:07–0:09

Harsh loo outside0:07–0:09 · POV of the window, curtains blowing in

POV of the window, curtains blowing in

0:09–0:10

Blames the weather0:09–0:10 · Confused, she moves toward the window

Confused, she moves toward the window

0:10–0:11

Window shut0:10–0:11 · The noise of the loo goes muffled

The noise of the loo goes muffled

0:11–0:12

Fan switch0:11–0:12 · Close-up insert of her finger on the switch

Close-up insert of her finger on the switch

0:12–0:13

Fan spins up0:12–0:13 · Low-angle shot as it picks up speed

Low-angle shot as it picks up speed

0:13–0:15

Full speed, still hot0:13–0:15 · Saree moves in the breeze and she's still sweating

Saree moves in the breeze and she's still sweating

0:15–0:16

What is going on?0:15–0:16 · Looks at the fan, the window, then herself

Looks at the fan, the window, then herself

0:16–0:17.5

Attention shifts0:16–0:17.5 · Her eyes go to the stove

Her eyes go to the stove

0:17.5–0:18.5

The kadhai0:17.5–0:18.5 · Sizzle, steam and heat shimmer

Sizzle, steam and heat shimmer

0:18.5–0:19.5

Follows the clue0:18.5–0:19.5 · Tight close-up as her eyes track

Tight close-up as her eyes track

0:19.5–0:21

Pack reveal0:19.5–0:21 · Premium product push-in with drifting steam

Premium product push-in with drifting steam

0:21–0:22.5

She gets it0:21–0:22.5 · Knowing smile

Knowing smile

0:22.5–0:25

Mid shot with product0:22.5–0:25 · Character and pack together

Character and pack together

0:22.5–0:25

Hero packshot0:22.5–0:25 · "Mirchi hai. Mazaak nahin." super and VO

"Mirchi hai. Mazaak nahin." super and VO

From the storyboards

Ep 05 · 24-second vertical board, 18 shots

Ep 02 · the déjà-vu loop with dip-to-black

How it was made

The production pipeline

The same six-stage process ran across all five films. It's the process we would use to produce an episodic series.

Story world first

Before scripting any single ad, we designed the family, their home, kitchen and office, and the tone: warm, gently comic, Hindi-first.

Character lock

Each character has a fixed face, wardrobe, jewellery and colour palette. Those references carried through all 220+ generated shots.

Timed AI storyboards

Every shot was boarded as a finished keyframe with a timecode, so the client approved real frames and pacing, not sketches.

Shot generation

Image-to-video per shot with several takes each. The best performance was chosen for expression, timing and continuity.

Hybrid finish

Characters stay stylised. Food, steam and packaging are photoreal so the dishes look appetising and the packs are accurate to the brand.

Edit, sound, versions

Cut to the beat, dialogue and VO in Hindi, supers and packshots, with 9:16 and 16:9 masters delivered and fast revision rounds.

For micro-drama & audio-video OTT platforms

Why this matters for your next vertical series

Micro-drama platforms need recurring faces, a hook every few seconds, phone-first framing, regional dialogue and a fast production pace. The Sunder series shows we can deliver each of these.

Vertical-native storytelling

In this project

Four of the five films were composed for 9:16 from the storyboard stage rather than cropped later. Chaat Masala was delivered in both 16:9 and 9:16.

For your platform

Episodes are framed for phones from the start, with faces and action kept inside the safe zone.

A hook in the first two seconds

In this project

Every film opens on a problem or a question: the sudden heat, the repeating dinner, the vlog intro, the dream, the boring tiffin.

For your platform

We write episodes to hold viewers past the first swipe, and each one ends on a beat that leads into the next.

Micro-drama pacing

In this project

Average shot length is about 1.3–1.4 seconds, and each story fits a full setup, escalation, twist and payoff into under 40 seconds.

For your platform

We bring the same tight structure to 1–3 minute episodes, so there's no dead air between the cliffhangers.

Recurring cast, stable faces

In this project

The same four characters, wardrobe and home appear across five films and 220+ generated shots.

For your platform

Lead actors stay consistent from episode 1 to episode 80, which an AI series has to get right.

A connected story world

In this project

Each family member leads a film, and they refer to each other (Ramesh ji: "Sudha ji daantengi!").

For your platform

Spin-offs, side characters and seasonal specials can come out of one series bible.

Fast production and revisions

In this project

First cuts arrived 1–6 days after storyboard sign-off. Jeeravan went through six final-stage cuts in one week.

For your platform

Batches of episodes, quick notes cycles, and content you can test and adjust with real audience data.

Hindi-first, ready for other languages

In this project

Hindi dialogue, Hinglish taglines and culturally specific settings: Indore poha stalls, office tiffins, family dinners.

For your platform

Dialogue and VO are recorded as separate audio layers, which makes dubbing into regional languages simpler.

Mixed visual styles

In this project

Stylised characters sit alongside photoreal food, product and street scenes, sometimes within one film.

For your platform

Each show can have its own look: animated, photoreal, or a mix suited to the genre.

Working with us

From one pilot to a full season

How we would run a micro-drama season using the same pipeline.

Series bible & character lock

World, tone, cast sheets, wardrobe and locations, signed off before any episode is made.

Episode scripts & beat boards

Hook, escalation and cliffhanger for every episode, with dialogue in your language.

Pilot episode

One fully finished episode to test the look, cast and pacing with your team and audience.

Season production in batches

Episodes produced in blocks with fast review cycles and the same cast throughout.

Platform-ready delivery

9:16 masters, subtitles, trailers and hook cut-downs for your paid campaigns.

Micro-dramas · Vertical series · Branded episodes

Have a series in mind?

Send us a logline. We'll come back with a character lock and a pilot plan in your language.