After the tabla and santoor, Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea turns to the flute

On the banks of the Krishna River at Vijayawada, HUL-owned Taj Mahal Tea revealed its newest love, after the santoor and the tabla – the flute.

The Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Chai Bansuri is an installation shaped like a tea kettle. Beautiful to look at, it has a trick up its sleeve – as the tea inside it brews and the steam rises through the spout, a specially installed flute starts playing the Hansdhwani Raaga, one of Carnatic music’s most celebrated compositions.

The brand’s Instagram account reveals Taufiq Qureshi as the composer for the music of the kettle, and the technical and innovation expert behind the Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Chai Bansuri, along with Hrishikesh Majumdar, flautist and technical support.

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A brainchild of ad agency Ogilvy, it is the second leg of its musical-theme work for the HUL tea brand. Last year, in the same city, the agency’s installation adorned with santoor strings performed a rendition of the Raag Megh Malhar each time the strings interacted with rainwater. It won a Silver at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the Outdoor Lions category.

Music and Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea share an old love story, one created by its taste and the beats of the late tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. His "Wah Taj" advertisement campaign in the 1980s remains one of Indian advertising’s most iconic works.

An evening cup of tea is splendid company to end a weary day – classic Indian music joining this mix can never go wrong.