Commenting on the collaboration, Jeetendra Bhandari, Founder, Walko Food Company, said, “Grameen Kulfi has always been about honoring India’s original ice cream & building it as a category. Zakir Khan resonates deeply not only with the brand’s name and product positioning, but also with its spirit as a true son of the soil — someone rooted in his land, culture and people, yet celebrated nationally & internationally. Partnering with Zakir Khan’s Papa Yaar for an entire year felt like a true extension of that vision. We see this as a cultural partnership, where a new-age Indian kulfi brand becomes part of stories unfolding across cities and audiences nationwide.”
Zakir Khan added, “Comedy has always been about connection, about finding pieces of ourselves in stories. When a brand understands that emotion and chooses to back an entire journey like Papa Yaar, it becomes more than just sponsorship. There’s something very warm and familiar about Grameen Kulfi as a brand, and that made this association feel like a perfect fit for a tour that is so personal and rooted in shared Indian experiences.”
Speaking about the collaboration, Shoven Shah, Founder & CEO, TribeVibe Entertainment, said, “For TribeVibe, live entertainment today presents brands with the opportunity to participate in culture, not just advertise around it. The Grameen Kulfi x Zakir Khan collaboration is a strong example of how TribeVibe enables brands to meaningfully align with content, emotion and audience experiences in an authentic, long-term manner. A year-long association across 50+ shows allows the brand to build a sustained and credible presence within a cultural journey that audiences are actively engaged with and emotionally invested in.”
As part of the partnership, Grameen Kulfi will engage with audiences through various activations beyond traditional sponsorship. These include on-ground fan experiences, social media campaigns, on-ground fan experiences and backstage interactions with Zakir Khan, and audience engagement activities at tour venues.