A Times Square billboard has become the latest stop in the international promotional campaign for KHOONTA, an award-winning Indian feature film that is using high-impact out-of-home media to bring its regional story to a global audience. The film’s second official poster was displayed on a Times Square billboard on August 9, adding New York to a campaign that has already included appearances and recognition in Cannes, London and Kolkata.
The intersection of cinema, culture and outdoor advertising came together in New York City on August 9, when the second official poster for KHOONTA appeared on a billboard in Times Square.
The display marked another stage in the film’s international promotional journey, bringing a production rooted in Himalayan culture into one of the world’s most recognizable advertising environments.
The Times Square event was attended by community leaders, celebrities, film supporters and members of the public. Organized by B n H Buzz Creators, the celebration also received media coverage from TV Asia and The World Voice.
For the film’s marketing strategy, the billboard placement represents more than a traditional poster display. Times Square remains a high-visibility out-of-home (OOH) advertising environment where brands, entertainment companies and cultural organizations compete for attention through large-format digital and static media.
That makes the placement particularly relevant for independent cinema seeking visibility beyond conventional film-industry channels.
Turning a billboard placement into a cultural event
The KHOONTA team did not limit the Times Square appearance to the poster unveiling.
Following the display, attendees began dancing to “Budi Diwali Harul,” a Pahadi regional song featured in the film and performed by Natti Star Ajay Chauhan. The gathering evolved into an impromptu celebration involving attendees and people in the surrounding area.
From an audience-engagement perspective, the moment illustrates how outdoor media can become the starting point for experiential marketing rather than functioning solely as a static awareness channel.
A billboard provides the initial visibility. A live gathering, social content, music and audience participation can then extend that exposure beyond the physical location.
That model has become increasingly relevant as advertisers look for ways to connect OOH campaigns with digital and social engagement. Large-format media can create a physical focal point while event content gives campaigns additional opportunities to circulate online.
For KHOONTA, the combination also reinforced one of the film’s central marketing themes: taking regional Indian culture to international audiences.
From Cannes to Times Square
The New York billboard follows several international milestones for KHOONTA.
The film held its market premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026, according to the film’s team. It subsequently received the Best Foreign Feature Film Award at the London Independent Film Awards and was recognized with the Best Indian Feature Film Award by the Indian Movie Awards in Kolkata.
The Times Square appearance extends that international positioning from film festivals and awards into mass-market outdoor media.
That distinction matters for independent productions. Film festivals provide credibility within the industry, while outdoor advertising can deliver broad public visibility. Combining the two allows a film to build both institutional recognition and consumer awareness.
The strategy also demonstrates how independent entertainment properties can use individual high-impact placements as part of a broader international brand-building campaign.
Regional storytelling meets global media
KHOONTA is built around themes of love, loss, faith, hope and human connection, while also exploring humanity’s relationship with nature and the consequences of disrupting ecological balance.
The film draws heavily from the Himalayan region and seeks to introduce international audiences to Pahadi culture, traditions, music and landscapes.
That cultural positioning gives its Times Square campaign a different character from a conventional commercial film advertisement.
The billboard is effectively being used as a global cultural statement as well as a promotional asset.
For marketers, this illustrates the potential of OOH advertising to communicate identity and place. In an environment such as Times Square, where consumers are exposed to thousands of commercial messages, cultural differentiation can become an important component of creative strategy.
Rather than relying exclusively on a film title and release information, KHOONTA’s campaign connects the visual identity of the movie with regional music, storytelling and a physical celebration.
Why Times Square remains valuable to advertisers
Times Square continues to serve as a powerful showcase for entertainment, technology, fashion and consumer brands because of its combination of pedestrian traffic, tourism, media visibility and cultural recognition.
For an independent film, however, a Times Square placement can also function as a credibility signal.
Images of the film’s poster displayed in the square can be repurposed across social media, press coverage, promotional materials and stakeholder communications. The physical media placement therefore has value beyond the period during which the billboard is visible.
This is increasingly how modern OOH campaigns are evaluated. Advertisers can combine physical exposure with digital amplification, social engagement and earned media to extend the effective lifespan of a placement.
The approach also fits into the wider evolution of digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising, where dynamic screens and programmatic buying are making outdoor media increasingly measurable and integrated with broader advertising strategies.
Independent cinema and the new OOH playbook
KHOONTA’s Times Square appearance illustrates how independent entertainment projects can combine awards, cultural storytelling, events and premium OOH placements to build international awareness.
The campaign does not rely on a single advertising channel. Festival appearances provide industry exposure, awards contribute credibility, media coverage extends reach, and the Times Square billboard supplies a highly recognizable visual asset.
The audience participation around “Budi Diwali Harul” adds another layer, turning the media placement into a cultural moment that can be documented and distributed digitally.
For entertainment marketers, the broader lesson is that OOH advertising can be more effective when it serves as a platform for experiences rather than simply a location for promotional artwork.
KHOONTA’s team now joins a growing group of independent entertainment properties using high-profile urban media to position regional stories for international audiences.
Producer Mukesh Modi described the Times Square appearance as an emotional milestone for the production and emphasized the team’s ambition to bring Indian regional culture and independent cinema to audiences worldwide.
Market Landscape
The KHOONTA campaign arrives as OOH advertising increasingly converges with digital marketing, social media and experiential campaigns.
Traditional billboards provide geographic visibility, while DOOH networks allow advertisers to use dynamic creative, scheduling and audience-oriented media strategies. Entertainment companies can also amplify placements through social platforms and earned media.
For independent films, premium OOH locations can provide a shortcut to visual recognition that may be difficult to achieve through conventional advertising alone. The challenge is ensuring that the placement connects with a broader narrative rather than functioning as an isolated awareness exercise.
KHOONTA’s combination of Times Square exposure, regional music, live participation, film-festival appearances and awards demonstrates one approach to that challenge.
Top Insights
- KHOONTA’s Times Square billboard extends the film’s international promotion from Cannes and award events into high-impact outdoor advertising.
- The campaign combined OOH visibility with live music and audience participation, turning a poster unveiling into an experiential cultural event.
- Pahadi music and Himalayan storytelling remain central to the film’s positioning as regional Indian culture reaches international audiences.
- The Times Square placement provides a visual asset that can generate additional social, media and earned exposure beyond the billboard itself.
- KHOONTA demonstrates how independent entertainment brands can combine festivals, awards, OOH media and experiential marketing to build global awareness.
Get in touch with our Adtech experts
