Thums Up, Coca-Cola India’s renowned billion-dollar brand, has unveiled its latest campaign titled ‘Biryani Ek Nahi, Do Haath Se Khaate Hai’, featuring Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan and Telugu cinema star Jagapathi Babu. This initiative celebrates the ideal biryani experience, turning it into an engaging ritual devoid of distractions. It emphasizes the importance of savoring each flavor and fully immersing oneself in the moment. Over the past three years, the brand has highlighted the enjoyment of biryani with Thums Up, evolving it into a recognized cultural truth among consumers. Known for its robust fizz and bold flavor, Thums Up enhances India’s rich biryani culture into a collective experience. The campaign seeks to elevate this pairing beyond just a meal.
In a fast-paced world filled with buzzing phones and flashing TVs, biryani deserves more than a hurried bite. Therefore, it encourages people to slow down, set aside their phones, forgo the spoon, and enjoy a generous plate of biryani accompanied by a chilled Thums Up. Directed by esteemed filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, the television commercial begins with a dramatic face-off between Shah Rukh Khan and Jagapathi Babu that evolves into an exhilarating experience upon the arrival of biryani and Thums Up. Sumeli Chatterjee, Category Head – Sparkling Flavours, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, remarked, ‘Thums Up has consistently represented moments that transcend the ordinary.
Over the last three years, our focus has been on creating a distinct ritual around the biryani-Thums Up pairing. In 2023, we launched the Toofani Biryani Hunt series, which received widespread acclaim. Now, we are further cementing the relationship between Thums Up and biryani as a form of social currency, representing a cultural signal that people want to share, replicate, and make their own.’ Shah Rukh Khan added, ‘In India, we often debate which Biryani reigns supreme—Hyderabadi, Lucknowi, or Kolkata—but one thing is clear: the way we relish it.
Biryani should not be rushed; it should be enjoyed with a Thums Up that enhances its flavors.’ Jagapathi Babu stated, ‘Biryani is more than just a dish in my culture; it’s a tradition. It deserves to be savored—the aroma, the spices, each bite tells a unique story. And with a Thums Up in hand, that story always concludes perfectly.’ Kalpesh Patankar, Group CCO, VML India, noted, ‘This campaign reimagines the biryani experience, creating a bold new ritual that requires both hands. We encourage India to eliminate distractions, pick up their favorite biryani with one hand, and a toofani Thums Up with the other for an unforgettable experience.
Biryani and Thums Up are not merely meals; they symbolize a powerful celebration of togetherness.’ The integrated campaign will be deployed across television, digital platforms, social media, and consumer engagement initiatives, offering fans exclusive Biryani vouchers. Through this campaign, Thums Up aims to transform the meal into a memorable occasion that people will cherish, as while there are numerous ways to enjoy biryani, there is only one toofani way.