Flex to fresco, hand-painted ads are making a comeback

Joeanna Rebello FernandesTNN
Feb 7, 2026 | 19:59 IST
Big Screen: Sarathi Studios in Hyderabad was the canvas for a Money Heist promo

To cut through digital clutter, brands are courting street artists and swapping billboards for murals that invite people to pause and pose

For four years, Dharmendra brought traffic to a crawl on Chapel Road in Mumbai’s Bandra area. The narrow lane lost its breadth around the stretch that housed the actor, as day-trippers stopped for selfies with his double-storey mural as Veeru from Sholay.

Last Sept, Dharmendra left the building and, in his place, came a hand-painted beauty ad. Traffic still slows down, but a different dynamic now drives the desire to be pictured with the wall.
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