Desi Oon
Ad Film
Where Wool Speaks, and We Must Listen
In this heartfelt six-minute film, wool itself becomes the storyteller, voicing the neglect it has suffered for generations. Once a sacred bond between humans, animals, and nature, wool now stands forgotten in the wake of urbanisation and industrial change.
Desi Oon is also a tribute to the revered shepherd Balumama, who dedicated his life to nurturing and protecting the Deccani sheep—a breed deeply rooted in the heritage of sustainable pastoralism.
At Studio Eeksaurus, we spent a year developing this film, walking with the flocks and the shepherds, immersing ourselves in their world. For the last six months, we have been shepherding our own flock of animators and enthusiasts through a tireless stop-motion animation shoot—crafted with real Deccani wool.
With the words and voices of Swanand Kirkire, music from Rajat Dholakia, and soundscape designed Resul Pookutty, alongside the unwavering commitment of Living Lightly, the Centre for Pastoralism, Samagata Foundation and many others, this film weaves together art, music, and storytelling to reignite our connection with a vanishing way of life.
Let’s listen. Let’s remember. Let’s act. Watch, share, and spread the word.
CLIENT
Centre For Pastoralism
DATE | DURATION
2025
DIRECTOR
Suresh Eriyat
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Nilima Eriyat
BEHIND THE SCENES
This behind-the-scenes film offers a gentle look into that process from early field visits to the final moments of post-production. It traces the making of the props, the textures, and the movement, revealing a process rooted in patience and craft. Every frame was animated by hand, every element carefully made, staying true to the spirit of stop-motion.
Music became an essential thread in this journey. Composed by Rajat Dholakia, the score draws from deep-rooted traditions, carrying the cultural pulse of the film with quiet strength and sensitivity. The lyrics and vocals by Swanand Kirkire further ground the film in folk expression — shaped by tradition and lived experience. From his voice emerged a song that resonates deeply with its culture and quietly stays with the film.
This is not just a look behind the scenes, but an invitation to connect with the film through the way it was made.
CREDITS
Concept & Direction – Suresh Eriyat
Executive Producer – Nilima Eriyat
Music Direction – Rajat Dholakia
Lyricist & Singer – Swanand Kirkire
Sound Design – Resul Pookutty (CAS, MPSE), Vijay Kumar (MPSE)
Animation Director – Aman Gupta
Cinematography – Bilu Tom Mathew, Arun Kumar, Aman Gupta (Camera)
Art Direction – Aman Gupta
Storyboard – Suresh Eriyat
Animatics & Character Design – Adithi Krishnadas
Color Layouts & Title Design – Nijin Nazeem
Visual Design – Aman Gupta, Isha Gupta
Project Lead – Aman Gupta
Production Manager – Nishant Ajay Nandgaonkar
Production Assistant – Jay Gondalia
Stop-Motion Animation
Technical Director – Aman Gupta
Animators – Aman Gupta, Maithili Desai, Utkarsh Bankar, Sanjay Patkar
Assistant Animators – Sakshi Kamat, Kush Koyani, Hari Pasupula, Jay Gondalia, Nikhil Patil, Isha Gupta, Neel Ranadive
Prop Design
Lead Designer – Isha Gupta
Prop Designers – Charulata Bendale, Ramesh Jadhav, Hari Pasupala, Kush Koyani, Sakshi Kamat, Nikhil Patil
Set Design – Nikhil Patil, Neel Ranadive, Aman Gupta
Character Modelling – Isha Gupta, Hari Pasupala, Sanjay Patkar
Armatures/Rigging – Hari Pasupala, Sanjay Patkar, Aman Gupta, Nikhil Patil, Isha Gupta
Team Eeksaurus – Nijin Nazeem, Gia Sudhakaran, Soham Samant, Shania Brinda Symons, Tanvi Palathinkal, Dhiraj Pathade, Anubhav Maharana, Nitya Shah, Gauri Sridhar
Music Recording
Recording Studio – Ajivasan Studio, Chitrabhasha Studio
Recording Engineer – Mandar Wadkar (Ajivasan)
Recording & Song Mixing Engineer – Hemant Khedekar (Chitrabhasha)
Backing Vocals – Hridaynath Meher, Tarang Mangela, Namdev Kolpate
Sambal and Dimdi – Rushikesh Deshmane, Rushikesh Gaurav
Audio Post Production
Re-recording Mixers – Resul Pookutty (CAS, MPSE), Vijay Kumar (MPSE)
Supervising Sound Editors – Resul Pookutty (CAS, MPSE), Vijay Kumar (MPSE)
Sound Editor – Vijay Kumar (MPSE)
Foley Artist – Varun Visoi, Shiva Shambu Digal
Sound Studio – Canaries Post Sound
Foley Studio – Foley Walkers India
Post Production
Post Production Lead – Toash Bhat
Clean up – Toash Bhat, Teena Thomas, Neel Ranadive, Kush Koyani, Jay Gondalia
3D FX – Pranav Rupala
Compositing – Aman Gupta, Toash Bhat, Mark D’Rozario
Senior Colorist – Avinash Shukla
Colorist – Saurav Negi
Conformist – Sandeep Kamble, Prem Sharma
Grading Studio – After Studios
IT Support – Satish Gautam
Carpentry – Aman Gupta, Jay Gondalia, Nikhil Patil, Kush Koyani
Production Runner – Kalpesh Palkar, Upendra Yadav
Accounts – Shailesh Patel, Chetan Varia, Nishant Ajay Nandgaonkar
Note: This film was created by Studio Eeksaurus is collaboration with the Centre for Pastoralism for the deccan edition of the exhibition ‘Living Lightly – Journeys with Pastoralists’