Haldiram's Diwali 2026: stars, creators and an AI creator

Diwali fell on 8 November this year, and one of the more instructive festive plans came from Haldiram's. It did not rely on a single brand film. It spread one idea across celebrities, comedians, regional stars, an AI creator and two quick-commerce apps, then backed it with print. For brands planning their next festive push, the structure is worth studying even though the results are not public.

What did Haldiram's run for Diwali 2026?

The campaign, "Haldiram's Se Bani Khaas Diwali", was reported by HospiBuz on 2 November and by Indian Television on 4 November. Both list the same talent:

• Film and OTT: Shruti Haasan, Rana Daggubati, Sreeleela, Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi, Rohit Saraf, Malavika Mohanan and Shriya Pilgaonkar.
• Television: Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Divyanka Tripathi and Mahima Makwana.
• Others: Farah Khan, chef Sanjeev Kapoor and actor-comedian Aparshakti Khurana.
• Digital creators: Purav Jha, Aaditya Kulshreshth (known as Kullu) and Rida Tharana.
• AI creator: Sardar Jappu Singh, described in both reports as an AI creator used for AI-led storytelling.

The videos ran on Instagram and YouTube. BW Marketing World included the campaign in its 6 November round-up of Diwali work and quoted marketing VP Divya Batra calling the approach "digital-first, but more importantly, audience-first."

How did quick commerce fit in?

This is the part most brands skip. Haldiram's set up a "House of Sweets" storefront on Blinkit and ran a Zepto offer giving free mithai and gifts with every order from 6 to 8 November, the days leading up to Diwali, according to Indian Television and HospiBuz. So the content had a place to send people at the moment they were buying, not just a brand message to remember.

Off-screen, the reports list print in 13 titles, including Navbharat Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Bombay Times and Eenadu, and outdoor sites in western and southern India plus select locations in Delhi.

What do we not know?

Quite a lot. Indian Television says the company did not share its budget, number of videos, media spend, reach or engagement targets. No agency is named. None of the reports say whether the AI creator's content carried an AI label. So this is a case study of a plan, not of proof that it worked.

Why does the AI creator matter?

A large Indian food brand putting an AI creator in the same line-up as Farah Khan and Shruti Haasan is a sign that synthetic talent is moving into mainstream festive budgets. It also arrives just before new rules. As we explained last week, ASCI's AI labelling guidelines take effect around mid to late December 2026 and treat AI influencers as a clear case that needs a label such as "Video created using AI". This Diwali campaign ran before that date. Anything similar for Christmas, New Year or Holi will not.

Is a celebrity-heavy line-up right for smaller brands?

Usually not, and Haldiram's own mix shows why. The celebrities bring reach across languages; the comedians and creators bring a format people actually watch to the end. A regional D2C brand can copy the second half at a fraction of the cost: a few creators who fit the audience, a clear festive hook, and a live offer on the app where that audience buys.

Our take from Delhi

The smartest move here is not the star count. It is the link between creator content and a time-boxed quick-commerce offer, which gives a brand something to measure beyond views. If you plan a festive creator push in Delhi NCR, decide the buying route and dates first, then brief creators to point to it. And if any face or voice in your line-up is AI-made, budget for the label now.