As part of an interview series in collaboration with MAD STARS, we’re speaking with jurors from across the region and the globe about the creative scene in their markets, what they look for in standout work, and more.
Next up in our series, we speak with Sandipan Bhattacharyya, Chief Creative Officer at Monks in India.
Sandipan talks about the creative energy shaping Mumbai, where culture is increasingly being created across creators, coders, founders, filmmakers, and commerce, and shares his view that while AI is changing the creative landscape, judgment, taste, and perspective remain distinctly human strengths.
He also shares what he’ll be looking for as a member of the Executive Jury at MAD STARS this year, including his preference for clarity over complexity and ideas that offer a genuinely fresh way of looking at a problem rather than simply following established best practices.
What inspires you most about the creative scene in Mumbai right now?
Mumbai has always rewarded people who can connect the dots faster than everyone else. Today, those dots are spread across creators, coders, founders, filmmakers and commerce. The city’s creative energy no longer lives inside agencies, it lives in Whatsapp forwards, startup demos, Insta comments and Metro compartments. That’s exciting because culture is being created in real time.
The downside? Trends have the lifespan of a Mayfly. Which means originality matters more than ever. Mumbai doesn’t reward the loudest idea anymore; it rewards the one people choose to share.
What advice do you have for young creatives who might feel discouraged by the current conversation around AI?
AI won’t replace creatives. But creatives who know how to use AI will probably replace those who don’t. That’s the uncomfortable truth. The good news? Tools have never built iconic brands. Perspective has. AI can generate a hundred ideas in seconds. It still can’t tell you which one deserves to exist. That’s judgment. That’s taste. That’s culture. The job isn’t getting smaller; it’s getting more interesting. Spend less time worrying about AI and more time building opinions.
AI won’t replace creatives. But creatives who know how to use AI will probably replace those who don’t.
Great creatives were never valued for their efficiency. They were valued for seeing what everyone else missed.
You’re on the Executive Jury at MAD STARS this year. What will you be looking for, and what does it take for work to truly stand out?
I’ve reached a point where I’m less impressed by complexity and more impressed by clarity. The work that wins me over usually makes me slightly jealous. I’m looking for ideas that couldn’t have been generated by following best practices. Craft is expected. Technology is available to everyone. What isn’t common is a genuinely fresh way of looking at a problem. The best entries don’t scream “look how innovative we are.” They quietly make innovation feel obvious.
Award shows have evolved alongside the industry. What role do recognition and competition play today in pushing the industry forward?
Awards are at their best when they raise the industry’s standards, not agency egos. In a world where algorithms optimise for what’s already working, award-winning ideas remind us that progress comes from doing something unexpected. The danger is chasing metal instead of meaning. The best work isn’t created for juries, it just happens to impress them because it solved something brilliantly. Good awards celebrate creativity. Great awards encourage clients to buy braver ideas.
Are there any recent campaigns from your agency that you’re particularly proud of?
‘Sneaker Cam’ for Mercado Libre and ‘Agents of Fun’ for Mini JCW are great examples of the kind of cultural creativity we’re putting out. What excites me most isn’t a single campaign, it’s the kind of work we’re building. At Monks, we’re increasingly creating for real-time brands, AI experiences and ecosystems where creativity isn’t the finishing touch – it’s the operating system. That’s where some of our best work is heading.
What piece of work—from any agency or era—has stayed with you and continues to shape how you think about creativity?
The DirecTV work from the US is definitely on my all-time inspiration list. Because it solved a behavioural problem without behaving like advertising. It proved that making something enjoyable can be more persuasive for behaviour change.
That’s rare. Every few years, a piece of work comes along that quietly changes the industry’s operating manual. This was one of them.
What are you most looking forward to during your time in Busan?
Being a juror is a curious kind of trust. Entrants send us their ideas hoping for genuine attention, not a glance and a verdict, and we owe them the discipline to actually look. At the same time, we owe the industry our restraint. Applause is cheap, and if we hand it out too freely, it stops meaning anything. Our job is to save it for the work that has truly earned it, because whatever we choose to celebrate quietly becomes the new bar everyone else is measured against.
Here’s the part worth sitting with: the jury judges the work, but depending on what we pick, everyone judges the jury right back. So, I’m looking forward to being judged!
Quick Hits
Something interesting you’ve discovered recently:
AI can also stand for ‘Absolutely Insipid’, if you don’t know how to extract from it creatively.
A ritual or habit that keeps you creative:
Reading the comments section under videos.
Something you want to learn or get better at:
Want to get better at eating rice with chopsticks.
