How we got Dhoni to dance care-free

The year was 2008. The Indian Premier League had just been born, cricket was about to become a carnival, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni had been named the captain of the Chennai Super Kings.

Sonata, Titan’s mass watch brand, was looking to refresh its image and capture the southern markets. Known for affordability and everyday reliability, the brand wanted to connect with a younger audience that craved something unexpected. The brief was simple: create noise, create recall, create a moment. Dhoni was their brand ambassador, and they wanted to create an ad celebrating him becoming the captain of the Chennai Super Kings.

As a young copywriter working on Sonata, I remember thinking: this feels absurd, almost out of place. This was my initial reaction. It felt like a curious mismatch — a Ranchi lad leading a Chennai franchise.

I wasn’t familiar with the idea of club football or club sporting events, since I don’t follow sports so closely.

The absurdity of Dhoni leading Chennai Kings became my creative springboard. If fans could accept this cultural surprise, why not push it further in advertising?

Around the same time, there was a movie track that was popular. A Tamil track from a Dhanush film that goes like ‘Enga area ulla varadhe’, which translates like ‘It’s our area..don’t get in’.

I found this track very befitting to the situation at hand. And that very thought sparked the idea that would become Dhoni’s first Sonata ad. The mismatch would become our core narrative.

What if Dhoni did something equally unexpected, like breaking into a carefree dance on the street? Grooving to this local track…dancing like a local. Mingling with the rest of the Tamil crowd.

And then suddenly people dancing around spot him…and pause to notice him…like an outsider is mingling and dancing along with them.

To which Dhoni, in his inimitable style, replies calmly.

“Adhaan..vandhiten ille…podu macchi…”

Which is difficult to translate, but colloquially means ‘ab aa gaya hoon na…chal bajaa..’

And continues to dance, like a local, becoming a part of them.

No cricket. No cricketing puns. Nothing even to do with the watch. But it kind of fell in place.

And in that moment, we had Dhoni. India’s new poster boy for cricket. But unlike his on-field persona of cool composure, he had never been seen in a playful, quirky avatar.

It was an image that made no logical sense, yet somehow captured the spirit of disruption that IPL represented. Just as the league blurred boundaries between states, regions and fan loyalties, this campaign could show a different side of Dhoni, one that was fun, unpredictable, and in sync with Sonata’s youthful positioning.

Pitching the idea wasn’t easy. The first reactions were hesitant. “Dhoni, dancing on the street? Will audiences accept this?” But the more we discussed it, the more it made sense. 

The conviction was simple: the unexpected gets remembered.

And so, the shoot was set. Dhoni, in casual wear, walking through an ordinary street, suddenly breaks into dance. No elaborate setup, no complicated narrative. Just a moment of spontaneity captured on film. It was disarming, joyful, and completely unlike the Dhoni the country had known till then. What could have felt jarring turned into a delightful surprise. It made audiences smile, and more importantly, it made them remember Sonata.

It got popular not just in Tamil Nadu, but people loved it from all over the country.

Looking back, that ad did more than just sell watches. It marked the start of Dhoni’s advertising journey with Sonata, a partnership that would last for years. It also reflected the essence of that IPL summer: bold, disruptive, and unafraid of breaking conventions.

What to me was most important was to hold on to your first reaction. Like in this one, ignorance worked in my favour. If I knew a lot about club sport, maybe I wouldn’t have had this initial reaction. And it wouldn’t have led to this idea.

This article is penned by Rajesh Ramaswamy, Founder, The Script Room. 

Disclaimer: The article features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of the publication.