WhatsApp and Fundamental use long-form storytelling to push Voice Notes in rural India

New Delhi: WhatsApp has launched a long-form branded film to show how Voice Notes and Video Notes can help people stay connected even when reading and writing are a barrier.

Conceptualised by independent agency Fundamental, the film targets semi-rural and rural audiences where many first-time smartphone users are still hesitant to type messages.

Set in North-Central Madhya Pradesh, the 9-minute ‘ Baatan Hi Baatan Mein’ film is inspired by the lives of migrant workers who spend much of the year away from their families and partners. 

The story follows Aasha and Manoj, two almost-strangers trying to build a relationship across distance, patchy connectivity, and odd working hours, with WhatsApp’s Voice and Video Notes becoming the bridge that allows their connection to grow.

Starting with Madhya Pradesh as the focus market, Baatan Hi Baatan Mein will run in semi-rural and rural single-screen cinemas, while travelling cinemas will take it to over 240 villages and hamlets for community screenings. 

The film will also live online as a short film on platforms such as Zee5 and JioHotstar, and as a 9-minute cut on YouTube.

The film will be followed by multiple educational short pieces and text-free “Ambient User Guides” placed in rural markets. 

These guides are designed to be understood visually, without needing to be read, reinforcing how to use Voice and Video Notes in everyday situations.

For a platform that has typically relied on shorter TV spots and digital creatives, WhatsApp’s choice of a long-form narrative is a clear signal of how brands are re-looking at content formats. 

Long-form branded films give more room for character, context and cultural nuance, which is especially important when the objective is behaviour change rather than just awareness. 

In markets where trust is built slowly and media touchpoints are limited, a 9-minute story in a local cinema or community screening can often work harder than a 20-second ad in driving habit adoption.

Speaking about the idea, Neeraj Kanitkar, Co-Founder, Fundamental, said the team landed on the strategy of “pebbling” – treating each voice or video note as a simple act of love whose collective impact is greater than any single moment. “Given the sharp focus on rural India, we knew we would need something audacious but also deeply human. Just an ad wouldn’t do. So, we led with a sweeping long-format story with protagonists that the audience could see themselves in and identify with,” he said.

Kanitkar added that once the core idea was locked, director Amit Sharma helped bring scale and authenticity to the execution. “Amit Sharma came on board, sprinkled his magic on the script, found the amazing quarry, which allowed us to situate the film geographically; a dialect coach lent great flavour to the script, and thus was born Baatan Hi Baatan Mein . We cannot wait for people to experience it as a short film in single-screen theatres and via travelling cinemas in remote locations,” he said.

National Award-winning filmmaker Amit Sharma said he wanted to treat the script like a full-fledged film from the first narration. “It has complex emotions that deserve a wide canvas and cultural authenticity. Because it isn’t the story of just Aasha and Manoj; it is a story that plays out with millions of Indians,” he said.

“The two leads, Rrama Sharma and Rajkishore Sahoo, truly became the Aasha and Manoj that the story needed. I am so happy the film is getting distributed in such a unique manner. It’s a story that I believe should be seen by as many people as possible,” Sharma added.

For content marketers, the campaign underlines two clear trends: platforms using storytelling to decode product features for new users, and a renewed role for long-form content in driving deeper emotional engagement. By combining cinema-style storytelling, rural screenings, OTT distribution and educational micro-content, WhatsApp and Fundamental are betting that Voice and Video Notes can move from a feature to a familiar, everyday habit in Bharat markets.

Credits

Agency: Fundamental
CEO: Nishant Saurabh
CCO: Pallavi Chakravarti
CSO: Anand Murty
ECD: Neeraj Kanitkar
Sr Creative Director: Gauri Burma
ACD (Design): Jyoti Patil
Group Head (Design): Pradnya Shirke
Junior Copywriter: Shivika Maheshwari
Account Management Lead (Consulting): Neha Khaneja
Account Director: Lyncia Noronha
Associate Account Director: Bhavi Gala
Studio Lead: Selva Nadar

Production House: Chrome Pictures
Director: Amit Sharma
Executive Producer: Napolean Daniel Amanna
Associate Producer: Aakriti Bhatnagar

Client: Meta – WhatsApp
Consumer & Creator Marketing Director, APAC: Vyom Prashant
Consumer Marketing Lead APAC, WhatsApp: Jasveen Kaur
Media Strategy Manager: Natasha Kapoor
Program Manager: Radhika Sabherwal
 Program Manager: Rashi Gupta