Asian Athletics Championship from the lens of Odisha

It’s been a while that India is working towards becoming an all-rounder nation in terms of sports and is coming out of the cricket-only cocoon. Right from kabaddi, football, badminton, tennis, wrestling and gymnastics, a lot of other sports are gaining popularity and hence the sporting events are becoming important too.

The upcoming Asian Athletics Championships, the premier track and field event in the continent, is one such event scheduled to be held in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar from July 6 to 9. The 22nd edition of the event will bring together nearly 800 athletes from 45 countries, participating in 42 different disciplines across track and field events during the four-day extravaganza.

Percept One has created a television commercial for the promotion of the event, which showcases the championships through the lens of Odisha. Athletes are seen honing their skill, across disciplines, amid the glory and beauty of Odisha.

Nupur Mahajan

Nupur Mahajan, CEO and Creative Head, Percept One, said, “The swiftness of athletes juxtaposed with the stillness of time that one experiences in Odisha – this unique coexistence of yesterday with today – is the story that we have crafted. In Odisha, the athleticism of international athletes is matched perhaps by the deftness of the barefoot sevayats who climb the 215 foot high Neela Chakra, for the Dhwaja Parivartan, at the Jagannath Temple every day. This confluence of heritage and modernity is representative of AAC in Odisha, and what Nila Madhab has beautifully captured.”

Nila Madhab Panda

Nila Madhab Panda, the internationally-acclaimed filmmaker, has directed the film to infuse in it the quintessential Odiya flavour. Shot across a strenuous three days amid the downpour, the TVC showcases locales across the pristine Puri coastline, Asia’s largest lagoon the Chilika, the temples of Konark to the jungles of Bhitarkanika, and finally culminates in the magnificent Kalinga Stadium.

Panda said, “I chose to do the ad film because Odisha is my motherland. I know every aspect of it to justify it from an international perspective. Directing the ad has given me a soulful happiness to describe the state’s beauty, culture and tradition in 60 seconds. I am thankful for receiving tremendous support from the whole state. A local crew of 120 were part of the making and it gives me immense pleasure to showcase the state's heritage and create an ad of this magnitude. Odisha is an amazing state, and can be described as the best amalgamation of everything that India as a nation should be proud of.”

The attempt was to present the magnificence of Odisha as it plays host to the international sporting event given that athletes and media from 45 participating nations come together here. The attempt was also to present Odisha to all of India who would tune in to national television and watch the games, and instil a sense of pride in Odias, as also Indians, the world over.

The Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) is Asia’s flagship event organised by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA). Bhubaneswar will host the event at Kalinga Stadium. The winners of the AAC procure a direct berth in the IAAF World Championships London 2017. India hosted the event on two occasions, New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013).

The TVC:

Credits:

Brand: Asian Athletics Championships

Agency: Percept One

Creative Team: Aurobrato Chattopadhyay, Chetan Sharma, Manikant Singh

Client Servicing Team: Maneeza Ahuja and Samit Rath

Agency Producer: Nila Madhab Panda, Handyman Films

Directed by: Nila Madhab Panda, Ashutosh Warang

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