Love's Greatest Filmmaker With over a decade of experience and 500 weddings under his portfolio— including Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, and Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa— Vishal and TWF have mastered the art of knowing what people want to remember.

How does one describe Vishal Punjabi? In two words- a diehard romantic. "Love stories have always been my favourite stories to tell," he shares on how such stories stayed with him growing up. Born in Ghana and having studied in London, Punjabi made the bold move of dropping out of college and moving to India to work as a creative director with Red Chillies Entertainment. Having worked on productions such as Ashoka and Main Hoon Na, he quickly realized filmmaking and advertising were dominated by "cut-throat culture" which stifled "joy and originality." "So, I asked myself, 'What's the most profound, real, and celebratory expression of love in India?' The answer was immediate: weddings. But I didn't want to be a planner or just document ceremonies. I wanted to be a filmmaker who captured the soul of these moments," he said. Thus, The Wedding Filmer was born. Fun fact: he shot his own wedding film.

"Storytelling is everything….It's the heart of every film we create," he said. His first viral wedding garnered over 44 million views on Facebook, With over a decade of experience and 500 weddings under his portfolio— including Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, and Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa— he and TWF have mastered the art of knowing what people want to remember.

Bollywood actresses have come a long way from keeping their weddings under wrap to "sharing their wedding films with pride." "It's deeply rewarding to know we've been a part of normalizing this celebration of love and commitment," said Vishal Punjabi, founder, The Wedding Filmer. Being a loose inspiration for Made in Heaven, covering South superstar Nayanthara's wedding, being featured on Netflix's The Big Day, and working on Dharma Production's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani are some of his milestones. It was on the sets of YJHD that actress Deepika Padukone told Punjabi, "When the time comes for my wedding, I'd be honoured if you would be the one to capture it."

The wedding industry is worth an estimated USD 130 billion, making it the fourth largest sector in India. According to the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), India is projected to host 35 lakh weddings between November and mid-December in 2024 alone—a surge from 32 lakh during the same period last year.

While he calls social media a blessing, he emphasises how they don't create work for the platforms. "The films we craft are deeply personal, made to resonate with the couple and their loved ones, not just to trend."

Up next, TWF is working on an epic TV show aimed at influencing societal perspectives, filming for celebrated sports personalities, and heading out to Mexico to capture a gay wedding, with Nayanthara's wedding video to be released worldwide soon. He shares that this wedding season is shaping up to be their biggest yet. Punjabi is also on the lookout for a business partner/investor who shares his vision.

Summing up, he shares, "Love, after all, is timeless. Even if the world pauses, love will always find a way, and so will our stories."

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