Instamart revisits Bollywood’s flower-coded romance for Valentine’s Day

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Instamart released Phools in Love, a reactions-led digital film built around a public installation in Bandra, Mumbai. The activation placed two oversized sunflowers on a public bench and invited passersby to sit, observe and interpret the moment without any prompt.

Drawing from a familiar Bollywood visual shorthand—where flowers often replaced spoken declarations—the setup relied on suggestion rather than instruction.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Instamart (@instamart)

The resulting film compiles these moments into a digital-first narrative, documenting how different generations and identities respond to an ambiguous romantic cue. The content has gained significant traction online, with nearly four million views within 12 hours of release.

Throughout the installation, participants were surprised with Valentine’s Day-themed items such as flowers, chocolates and small gifts, delivered immediately after their interaction. The brand presence remained understated, with the focus placed on participant reactions rather than overt messaging.

Commenting on the campaign, Mayur Hola, head of Brand – Swiggy, said: “Romance in India has never been about spelling everything out. It’s always lived in suggestion, in old Bollywood frames where two flowers could say more than words ever could. With Phools in Love, we wanted to recreate that feeling in the real world today and capture how people interpret love in their own way. Turns out, not much has changed in the way we express love. And Instamart’s role is simple - to make sure the right gesture arrives when it matters most.”

The film is part of Instamart’s broader Valentine’s Day activity, which also included limited-edition gift assortments designed around unconventional and personalised combinations.