Juhi Chawla Joins Apple’s Diwali Campaign as ‘Roop Suhana Lagta Hai’ Gets a Folk-Inspired Makeover

More than three decades after The Gentleman introduced audiences to the popular song “Roop Suhana Lagta Hai”, the melody has found a new festive interpretation. Apple has brought the song back into the spotlight through its Diwali campaign, Step Into the Light, featuring Juhi Chawla and created in collaboration with Indian fashion label Raw Mango.

Released on November 4, 2026, the campaign combines music, dance, Indian textiles and festive imagery. Juhi makes an appearance towards the end of the film, wearing traditional ensembles, including a striking purple outfit. The campaign is directed by Raw Mango founder Sanjay Garg and was shot entirely on the iPhone 18 Pro.

A Familiar 1990s Melody Gets a New Treatment

The musical connection takes the campaign back to The Gentleman, the 1994 Hindi action drama starring Chiranjeevi and Juhi Chawla. “Roop Suhana Lagta Hai” was composed by Anu Malik, sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra, with lyrics by Indeevar.

For Apple's new film, the song has been reinterpreted in a folk-inspired style rather than simply being presented as a nostalgic recreation. The fresh arrangement accompanies a sequence of dance performances that combine traditional and contemporary movements.

The original Hindi film itself was a remake of S. Shankar's 1993 Tamil film Gentleman. The melody was adapted from A. R. Rahman's “Ottagathai Kattiko” from the Tamil original, giving the song a musical history that stretches back even further than its 1994 Hindi version.

Raw Mango Brings Indian Textile Traditions to the Film

Titled Step Into the Light, the campaign is built around the visual idea of moving from darkness into light, reflecting the spirit of Diwali. Its setting is Tijara Fort, a restored 19th-century royal palace in Rajasthan.

The film features dancers from different parts of India, with choreography by performers from Big Dance Centre. Their costumes highlight textile traditions including Mashru, Varanasi brocades and Chanderi. The combination of heritage fabrics, movement and carefully designed lighting gives the campaign a strong fashion and cultural identity.

Speaking about the creative direction, Sanjay Garg explained that the idea developed from celebrating the physical light of diyas to expressing the more optimistic feeling associated with being in the light. The campaign's title reflects that broader interpretation of the festival.

A Showcase for the iPhone 18 Pro Camera

Beyond its festive storytelling, the film also serves as a showcase for Apple's smartphone camera technology. The company says the campaign was shot entirely on the iPhone 18 Pro, with low-light sequences designed to demonstrate its camera capabilities.

Apple has highlighted the phone's 48MP Fusion Main camera, variable aperture and Smart Focus Tracking. The latter is intended to keep performers in focus as they move through the choreography, including in changing and challenging lighting conditions.

The campaign was created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab (India), with April Studios as the production company. Raw Mango handled the creative collaboration, while Heckler worked on post-production.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The campaign works on two levels. For audiences familiar with 1990s Hindi cinema, Juhi Chawla's appearance and the return of “Roop Suhana Lagta Hai” offer a recognisable connection to an earlier era. For younger viewers, the folk-inspired arrangement, choreography and textile-led visuals present the song in a different cultural and visual setting.

It is also a notable example of a technology campaign placing Indian craft and performance at the centre of its storytelling. Rather than relying only on product demonstrations, Apple and Raw Mango have connected the iPhone's camera features to a larger festive film built around music, dance and textile heritage.

For Juhi, the appearance brings a familiar piece of her filmography into a contemporary campaign, introducing The Gentleman's musical legacy to a new generation.

Sources & Verification

The campaign's release, creative collaborators, filming location, musical treatment and production details were cross-checked against advertising-industry coverage. The original song's film and music credits, along with Juhi Chawla's appearance in the film, were checked against The Indian Express. Apple’s campaign post is embedded in that coverage, and the Apple India film is linked in the advertising-industry report.