Bittu and Balloo's Story
Context
On India’s 76th Independence Day, while the nation celebrated freedom, thousands of children were still fighting for theirs. Mukul Madhav Foundation wanted to spotlight the harsh, often unseen reality of child trafficking in India.
Insight
Independence means little if innocence is still imprisoned. To speak about child trafficking responsibly, the story had to be told through a lens that protected sensitivity while still confronting truth.
Idea
We created Bittu & Balloo’s Story, a story best watched than read.
While working on my final idea for Mukul Madhav Foundation, I wanted to explore a way to speak about child trafficking without sensationalising or retraumatising the subject. The starting thought was simple: if the issue is about stolen childhoods, the storytelling should come from something that belongs to every child.
That led to the idea of using a soft toy as the narrative lens, allowing the story to unfold from an object associated with comfort, innocence, and childhood.
The concept evolved into Bittu & Balloo’s Story, a PSA-led film that juxtaposed the warmth of a child’s teddy bear with the harsh reality of children who never get to experience a safe childhood.
I developed the core idea and narrative direction for telling the story through the toy’s perspective. The concept was then brought to life beautifully by the team at Schbang, who executed the scripting, production, and final storytelling of the film.
The campaign resonated deeply beyond digital platforms. Multiple public schools screened the film for primary students as an awareness tool, helping initiate conversations around child safety and trafficking.
It became a strong reminder that when digital campaigns are handled with sensitivity and intent, they can translate into real on-ground educational impact.
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