Diageo India’s single malt whisky brand Godawan has released a handcrafted stop-motion film about the Great Indian Bustard. The film launched in Bangalore on October 5, 2026, to mark World Wildlife Week, and Godawan Estuary Premium Water presents it.
The Great Indian Bustard was once in contention to become India’s national bird. The species now has its own dedicated day on May 21, and Godawan has been consistently dedicated to conserving the population of the endangered birds.
Studio Eeksaurus and 22Feet Creative Agency directed and conceptualized the short film. It combines stop-motion, 2D animation, and live action. More than 100 artists and craftspeople worked on the project, and production took 15,000 hours over eight months.
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The team built the film’s visual world from more than 5,200 ceramic pieces inspired by Jaipur Blue Pottery. Artists made, arranged, and photographed every composition by hand.
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Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, Grammy-winning percussionist Taufiq Qureshi and national award winner Rajat Dholakia created the score. It draws on Rajasthani folk traditions and instruments such as the Ravanahatha and Morchang.
Ruchira Jaitly, chief marketing officer of Diageo India, said: “Our support for the Godawan’s conservation goes back years, and seeing a purpose we have believed in for so long come to life has been incredible. We have commemorated the bird’s journey in many ways over the years, but this is perhaps the most exciting way yet, through a film that brings together conservation, craft, culture and storytelling.
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READ THE STORY“At a time when almost anything can be created in seconds, we chose to take the time to make this by hand. That human touch is what this story of conservation needed.”
Suresh Eriyat, co-founder and director of Studio Eeksaurus, said: “There was a cause, an art form on the edge of disappearing, and a bird almost nobody had seen. We may never make another film quite this way again.”
Rahul Mathew, speaking for 22Feet, said: “To tell the story of the Godawan and its conservation using the medium of Jaipur Blue Pottery was painstaking, but also very rewarding.”
In 2023, Godawan 100 marked the bird’s population reaching 100. A year later, the brand created Durbar, a platform celebrating Rajasthan’s culture, music, food and craft.
Last year, Godawan released Godawan 173: The Collector’s Edition. The release comprised 173 individually crafted bottles inspired by Jaipur Blue Pottery, marking another population milestone.
On World Environment Day this year, the brand projected the bird’s revival story onto the Qutub Minar.
