Portfolio
My name is D Shiv Kiran.
I photograph. I write. I try to make sense of feelings, my own and those around me.
My practice moves between client work and deeply personal experiments.
I’ve worked on campaigns, led workshops, written voice overs, and curated images. But at the heart of it, I am always asking the same question:
Does this feel real?
I don’t see this as a portfolio.
This is a slow walk through the work that has held me, healed me, or helped me understand the world a little better.
I’ve never chased scale. I’ve chased sincerity.
What follows are glimpses of that pursuit, through writing, photography, and stories that refused to stay quiet.
Photography
This is how I speak when I don’t have the words.
These images were never taken for attention. They were taken so I could breathe.
Sometimes the photo is enough.
Sometimes the words are louder.
But when they meet. When one holds the silence of the other, something honest appears.
A photograph reminds me of Piku and the quiet loss of heritage. Chandni Chowk, like many places, is trading its centuries-old charm for modern buildings. As history gets erased for profit, I document what remains, preserving its essence through memory and photographs.
Follow the link to read more in detail: https://www.shivkiran.com/blog/change
People often ask why I take the train instead of flying. The answer is in the journey itself. Trains let me witness changing landscapes, encounter unfamiliar places, and imagine lives beyond my own. These moments feed my creativity and curiosity.
Follow the link to read more: https://www.shivkiran.com/blog/whytrain
On my birthday, I stepped away from the noise and gave myself a quiet challenge: 72 frames in two hours. What followed was an instinctive journey through Delhi’s trees, light, and reflections on life. Often, clarity comes later. We just live, and then we begin to see.
See all the frames here: https://dshivkiran87.substack.com/p/72-frames-and-a-bad-dosa
Writing
I didn’t begin as a writer. But words eventually found me.
I write like I photograph: to pause time, to notice more, to reach someone silently.
Below are fragments from projects that meant something to me.
Scripts
They begin as fragments of feeling, atmosphere, and memory. Some are waiting to become short films. Writing helps me see more clearly. It allows me to shape silence into something that moves. These scripts live between image and emotion. I hope to bring them to life, one quiet story at a time.
Spec Ad Scripts for Vicks Tablet
Script Summary
Title: "The Breath That Drew the Triangle"
In this playful reinterpretation of history, we imagine a quiet moment in 1481 Tuscany, where Leonardo da Vinci, battling a sore throat, finds relief in a small triangular tablet. As clarity returns, he sketches what would become one of his iconic compositions; balanced, divine, and triangular. The script humorously suggests that the inspiration behind his famed geometric mastery may not have come from mathematics, but from a moment of medicinal clarity.
Tone: Quiet wonder with tongue-in-cheek reverence
Duration: 30 seconds
Client: Vicks Tablets
Tagline: Vicks Tablets. Beyond Medicine.
Script Summary
Title: "Geometry of Relief"
Set in 1923 Berlin, this whimsical and lyrical script imagines Kandinsky struck silent by a sore throat. In a surreal moment, a green triangular tablet offers sudden relief. With a breath, his inner chaos transforms into clarity. Shapes pour out onto canvas. Triangles, rhythms, pure energy. The Vicks tablet becomes both muse and motif, suggesting that abstract art may have sprung from something as simple as soothing relief.
Tone: Abstract, lyrical, slightly quirky
Duration: 30 seconds
Client: Vicks Tablets
Tagline: Vicks Tablets. Beyond Medicine.
Script Summary
Title: "The Triangle That Freed the Canvas"
Set in early 20th century Paris, this bold and witty script imagines abstract artist František Kupka stalled by a sore throat and creative block. One Vicks tablet—a small triangle—offers unexpected relief and inspiration. Suddenly, his blank canvas bursts into layered triangles and vibrant abstraction. The tablet becomes the hidden spark behind his vision.
Tone: Bold, modern, with a touch of dry humor
Duration: 30 seconds
Client: Vicks Tablets
Tagline: Vicks Tablets. Beyond Medicine.
Spec Ad for Uber
Script Summary
Title: Behind the Wheel
Genre: Empowerment / Automotive Campaign
Duration: ~60 seconds
Tone: Reflective, proud, grounded, and uplifting
This voice-over script challenges gender stereotypes in driving by spotlighting legendary women racers like Lella Lombardi and Michèle Mouton. From Formula One to Le Mans and Dakar, it reminds viewers that women have conquered the world’s toughest tracks. The message reframes driving not as a gendered act, but as a skill, calling for trust and equality on the road.
Theme: Gender equality, representation in motorsports, everyday empowerment
Short Film Scripts
Script Summary
Title: Shadow on the Wall
Genre: Surreal Thriller / Psychological Drama
Writer: D Shiv Kiran
Duration: ~10 minutes
A young woman flees barefoot through the alleys of a modern city, convinced she is being hunted by a leopard. Breathless and terrified, she believes the predator has returned to reclaim its lost forest—now transformed into housing colonies and research labs. Her fear is primal, but laced with existential questions about displacement, development, and survival.
She bursts into a house party, seeking help. The guests, amused, find a toy leopard near the alley. They laugh. But her tears reveal the deeper truth—it was never about the leopard. It was about everything it symbolized: fear, grief, helplessness, and emotional collapse.
In the quiet aftermath, an old man and his grandson offer her a moment of care, not solutions. The script ends with her alone in her room, shouting, laughing, and finally resting. It is a surreal, emotional release—a portrait of someone on the edge, finally seen.
Tone: Tense, lyrical, emotionally raw with surreal undertones
Themes: Environmental guilt, emotional repression, fear, urban alienation, quiet acts of kindness
Script Summary
Title: At the Dining Table
Genre: Intimate Drama / Philosophical Dialogue
Duration: ~5 minutes
Writer: D Shiv Kiran
Set in a modest city apartment over a quiet dinner, this short film captures an introspective conversation between two introverted friends, Chandan and Vidhan. Chandan has written a poem responding to recent polarizing news events and is unsure how to express his thoughts without adding to the divisive noise. Vidhan, calm and reflective, guides him gently through poetry, invoking voices of wisdom like Bashir Badr, Nida Fazli, Kabir, and Bulleh Shah.
Through soft exchanges, they explore the difference between reaction and reflection, faith and fanaticism, noise and meaning. The scene becomes a space for emotional clarity and poetic grounding, reminding the viewer that faith can be quiet, personal, and rooted in compassion.
Tone: Warm, contemplative, quiet with emotional depth
Themes: Religion and identity, poetry as resistance, empathy, emotional clarity, the value of listening
Script Summary
Title: This Moment Made Sense
Genre: Personal Reflection / Artist Statement
Duration: ~60 seconds
Tone: Introspective, vulnerable, poetic
This voiceover offers a quiet meditation on why the narrator photographs. Without grand ambition or fixed intent, photography becomes a way of feeling rather than explaining. The narrator finds meaning in overlooked details—cracks, shadows, broken things—mirroring their own inner state. Each photo becomes a silent affirmation: this moment mattered. This moment made sense.
Themes: Self-expression, emotional resonance, imperfection, meaning in the mundane
Bill Board
To design the UltraTech Cement billboard, I started with the insight that the best roads are the ones people do not notice because they simply work. Instead of using a driver’s point of view, we chose a wide, cinematic shot of a smooth road leading into a scenic horizon. The final copy, “The bumps are gone. The view is yours,” paired with “Smooth. Strong. Silent. So nothing comes between you and the journey,” communicates trust, comfort, and quality. The message and visual together highlight UltraTech’s invisible role in making every journey easier by letting people focus on the view.
Copy Writing
Push Notifications for Spotify
This explores how Spotify uses push notifications to engage users through personalized and timely messages. We studied different types including new releases, blends, listening stats, and curated playlists. Notifications were crafted for specific cases like Gulzar’s return, Mohit Chauhan’s new album, and personalized track recommendations. Each message was designed to reflect the mood, context, and target audience. Visual mockups were created for standard and lock screen formats to enhance the impact. The goal was to create communication that feels personal and relevant, making listeners feel seen, understood, and invited to discover something meaningful in their own rhythm.
Spec ad for Manyavar's Diwali Campaign
This Diwali campaign for Manyavar was built around the idea of making every man feel like a star. It aimed to be rooted in tradition while remaining aspirational in tone. The central message, “Style Like a Star,” was brought to life through visuals that highlighted confidence, brotherhood, and cultural richness. From early teaser posts to sale-driven sustainance visuals, each creative followed a consistent vertical format that aligned with Manyavar’s identity across platforms. The tone remained warm, festive, and cinematic throughout. The campaign was designed to be mobile-first, adaptable for different touchpoints, and emotionally resonant with the spirit of celebration.
Pre Buzz
Launch
Sustainance
Published Works
Pascha Brunello
We had the honour of working with Pascha Brunello, a New York-based luxury brand celebrated for its exquisite pashmina, cashmere, and merino wool. Our journey took us to Kashmir, where we witnessed the age-old artistry behind pashmina weaving—an experience both humbling and unforgettable. From the hand-spun yarn of the rare Changthangi goat to the intricate embroidery crafted by skilled Kashmiri hands, every step spoke of heritage, precision, and elegance. More than just fashion, Pascha Brunello champions timeless luxury and artisan legacy. This project wasn’t just about fabric. It was about warmth—in both the weave and the people who create it.
Photo Journalism
Deep in Gujarat’s Gir forest, 65-year-old priest Bharatdas Darshandas, or Bapu, lives alone in an ashram and remains the sole voter in Banej. In keeping with Election Commission rules, officials set up an entire polling booth just for him—for the fifth time. On polling day, Bapu calmly cast his vote after a brief media scuffle, later announcing Banej’s 100% voter turnout. Though he lives alone with his pet peacocks, Sonu and Monu, his ashram sees visitors, pilgrims, and occasional sadhus. He voted for BJP, hoping for temple renovation funds and plans to turn his ashram into a paid retreat.
Read the full article at: https://scroll.in/roving/663345/why-did-the-ec-set-up-an-entire-polling-booth-just-for-this-man
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