Why MANJA turned urban panic into InstaHelp’s most relatable campaign

You are randomly chilling on a Sunday morning, and your house help says, “Bhaiya, aaj main nahi aaungi.” Brownie points for realising that you have guests coming over.

That’s exactly where InstaHelp’s No More Emotional Atyachar becomes painfully relatable.

Conceptualised by MANJA for Urban Company’s quick-response service InstaHelp: The film dramatises a universal urban panic: the last-minute cancellation that throws an entire household into chaos.

According to Suyash Barve, head of creative at MANJA, the brief was sharply defined.

Urban Company is building InstaHelp – a service that promises a professional within 30 minutes to handle chores like cleaning, dishes and folding laundry. But the brand initially doesn’t want to position it as a daily replacement for a regular maid.

“The entry point had to be that one day when your maid didn't show up,” Barve explains. “Most urban households already have domestic help. So when would you try InstaHelp for the first time? It would be that emergency day.”

That “today of all days” moment – especially when guests are expected – became the emotional core of the film.

Why ‘Emotional Atyachar’?

Once the team locked in on the insight, the leap to music followed naturally. The agency chose to reinterpret the iconic Emotional Atyachar song from Dev D, transforming heartbreak into household horror. Instead of romantic betrayal, agony now stems from unwashed utensils, dusty tables and laundry piles.

“That call hits you in the pit of your stomach,” says Barve. “We thought of chores as torture. Dirty dishes as torture. So the word ‘atyachar’ felt perfect.”

Importantly, the song wasn’t pasted onto a finished script. “The idea and the song were inseparable. If we couldn’t get the rights, we would have scrapped the film and gone back to the drawing board.”

Rewriting a cult song isn’t easy

Rather than simply using the original track for nostalgia value, MANJA rewrote the lyrics to highlight InstaHelp’s use cases.

“Changing the lyrics allowed us to inform and entertain at the same time,” says Barve. “But it’s not easy. Every time you tweak a line, the structure of the song changes.”

The process – scripting, securing rights, recreating and recording the track with Footloose’s music team – ran parallel to the film production with director Indrashish. The aim was to retain the familiarity of the original while seamlessly embedding the brand’s message.

“We wanted people to feel like they know this song but suddenly realise the lyrics are about their own Sunday crisis,” he adds.

Also Read: How Insta Help fits into India’s growing convenience culture

Nostalgia: Strategy or just a tool?

Recently Coca-cola India brought back Rimzim Jeera, originally introduced by Parle in the 1980s and later acquired by the beverage giant in 1993. The launch campaign for Rimzim Jeera carries the line "Jeere mein heera, Rimzim Jeera" and reworks R.D. Burman’s track Duniya Mein Logo Ko, replacing the refrain with a stylised "Jeeeeera".

With several brands today revisiting iconic tracks, does nostalgia automatically guarantee engagement?

Barve disagrees with the idea of it being a formula.

“It’s not a strategy. "It's a tool,” he says. “If a song is integral to the idea, it works. If it’s an afterthought, it won’t.”

He points to MANJA’s earlier work for The Whole Truth – Protein ke peeche kya hai (Choli ke peeche kya hai song) – where the reworked hook is directly tied into ingredient transparency. “In both cases, the song came from the idea. Not the other way around.”

For newer services such as InstaHelp, however, a recognisable track can help cut through clutter. “A familiar song grabs you by the ears, if not by the eyes,” Barve says. “It captures attention. But attention alone isn’t enough; it has to serve the story.”

In direct competition with InstaHelp, Snabbit brought in actor and comedian Rajpal Yadav as its "CEO (Chore Expert Officer)". The campaign showcased his iconic Chup Chup Ke character, highlighting him as an expert in managing everyday household chores. 

View this post on Instagram

According to industry estimates, India’s gig workforce is expected to grow to 23.5 million by 2030, with home services emerging as one of the fastest-growing categories.

In an increasingly crowded service marketplace, Barve believes memorability matters more than messaging overload.

“You can inform people to death, and they won’t remember it,” he said. “The real question is—does your 30-second film leave an impact? Does it stay with them the next day?”

With No More Emotional Atyachar, MANJA is betting that turning a cult heartbreak anthem into a domestic meltdown will do exactly that and ensure the next time the dreaded Sunday call comes in, InstaHelp is top of mind.