National, August 19, 2026: What if a cup of coffee could take you through 100 years of India? Marking its centenary, Sri Narasu’s Coffee Company has brought this thought to life through a new TVC that takes viewers across different eras of India, using coffee as the constant thread through a century of change and evolution.
The film begins in 2026, with a young woman taking a sip of Narasu’s Coffee at her workplace, only to find herself transported across different eras. From a 1926 cabinet room with Lord Irwin to the freedom movement of 1946, a traditional family gathering in 1966, the excitement around the 1983 Cricket World Cup and the early-2000s internet café, each stop captures a different slice of India and its changing times. Through it all, the cup of Narasu’s coffee stays with her, before she returns to the present, bringing the journey full circle with the thought, ‘A Century in a Cup’.
The creative idea draws from a simple observation. While the way India lives, works, celebrates and connects has changed significantly over the last century, the everyday ritual of enjoying a cup of coffee has remained familiar across generations. In one of the period sequences, the film also brings Narasu’s directly into the journey, with the protagonist encountering a Narasu’s Coffee pack in a traditional coffee shop setting.
The centenary TVC was conceptualised by Hari RK and produced by HI TIME bringing together a strong creative and production team comprising Amrish Lakshman (Producer), Sunil KS (DOP), Aravind (Art Director), Meenakshi Narayanaswamy (Stylist), and Aditya Ravindran (Music Director). The film uses a combination of detailed production design, period sets, visual effects and VFX to recreate the different eras. The film’s distinctive visual treatment was further enhanced through the colour grading by Vyshak Shiva of Nube Studio, whose grading brought consistency, depth and character to the visuals across the multiple periods, helping maintain a cohesive cinematic look throughout the century-spanning journey. For more information, refer to Annexure 1.
Speaking about the film, S. Srudheep, Managing Director, Sri Narasu’s Coffee, said, “Reaching 100 years is a significant milestone for us. The centenary is as much about looking at the last century’s journey as it is about celebrating the milestone. Over the years, India has changed in so many ways. Yet, coffee has continued to be part of people’s everyday lives, conversations, celebrations and memories. The film brings this thought to life by taking viewers through different eras and moments that feel familiar, while keeping a cup of Narasu’s at the heart of the journey. ‘A Century in a Cup’ is our way of celebrating not just where we have come from, but the generations of coffee lovers who have made Narasu’s part of their lives.”
The ad film purely depicts the emotion the brand holds in the heart of its consumers across generations. The brand’s promise of quality and consistency forms the main essence of the film, reaffirming another 100 years of trust. Known for its authentic south Indian filter coffee, the film showcases the evolution of Narasu’s coffee, be it through its new products, expansion into new markets or embracing a new generation of coffee aficionados.
The TVC was rolled out across Tamil TV channels, and all social media profiles of Narasu’s Coffee Company in Tamil and Kannada beginning 15th August. The campaign will run for 6 months and also run in Telugu.
For Narasu’s Coffee, the centenary is therefore not just a look back at 100 years. It is a look at the many ways India has changed, and the everyday rituals that have stayed with it.
View the TVC here in Tamil on here and here and, in Kannada here and here.
About Sri Narasu’s Coffee Company
Founded in 1926 and headquartered in Salem, Tamil Nadu, Sri Narasu’s Coffee Company is one of South India’s most trusted and enduring coffee brands. With a century of heritage, Sri Narasu’s Coffee has built its legacy on a steadfast commitment to quality and consistency. From carefully sourced beans roasted to perfection to its iconic blends, every product reflects decades of refined expertise, strict quality control standards. Sri Narasu’s Coffee’s extensive portfolio includes filter coffee, instant coffee, tea, premixes, and a range of healthy & organic food products. Available across 78 retail outlets in Tamil Nadu. And on prominent e-commerce and quick commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Blink-it along with large format stores such as Reliance, Lulu, and D-Mart.
For more information, visit www.narasuscoffee.in.
Annexure 1
Making of the TVC
A Century in a Cup, takes a simple cup of coffee and turns it into a journey through time.
The film begins in 2026, inside a modern workspace, where a young woman takes a sip of Narasu’s Coffee. In an instant, she is teleported across different eras. From a British-era (Lord Ervin’s) cabinet room in 1926, to the streets of pre-independence Chennai (1940s), a traditional family gathering in the 1960s, a cricket-obsessed street during the World Cup era, and finally to an early-2000s internet café. With every sip, she experiences how the world, people and lifestyles have changed across generations.
What remains unchanged through every period is the presence of Narasus coffee in conversations, celebrations, relationships and everyday life. The journey finally brings her back to the present, where the same cup suddenly carries a much deeper meaning.
At the beginning of the film, she believes she is simply drinking a good cup of coffee. By the end, she has realised she is drinking something that has quietly witnessed generations.
THE CORE IDEA:
Governments changed, A country moved toward independence, Families came together, India celebrated cricket, Technology changed the way people met, Workplaces transformed. But coffee remained and Narasu’s remained with it.
That is why our final line is not simply a centenary statement. It is the emotional summary of everything we have just experienced: Narasu’s Coffee — A Century in a Cup.
Recreating a century of India on screen required a combination of detailed production design, period sets and visual effects. The 1920s setting was recreated as a physical set, carefully designed to capture the distinctive architecture, interiors and colonial-era atmosphere of a British cabinet room.
For the 1940s sequence, VFX was used to recreate the look and character of old Madras, bringing the city’s streets and surroundings to life with period-accurate visual detailing. The 1960s era was recreated through an elaborate traditional family gathering, capturing the social setting, customs and visual character of the time. For the 1980s sequence, a dedicated set was created to recreate the atmosphere of the Cricket World Cup era, reflecting the cricket obsession and cultural excitement that defined the period.
The journey then moves into the early 2000s, with a specially built internet café set recreating the look and feel of an emerging digital India. Each era was meticulously designed to reflect its distinct period while remaining connected to the central presence of Narasu’s Coffee.
