MORE THAN JUST FILLING BOXES
A box is easy to fill.
But filling it with meaning? That's where the real work begins.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of curating for several celebrities, policymakers and business leaders — people who receive hundreds, sometimes thousands, of gifts. People who can buy almost anything under the sun.
So I learnt quite early that gifting isn't really about what you put in the box.
It's about what you put behind it.
The thought. The story. The surprise. The little detail that makes someone stop, smile and think, “This was made for me.”
That's the challenge I love. The adrenaline rush I thrive on.
Here are a few such curations from the house of Gift of the Present that I’m especially proud of.
THE KHAKI LEGACY
Some gifts have to match the man, not the moment.
When Malayalam actor-director Joju George reached out to felicitate cinema legend Padma Bhushan Mammootty during the success celebration of Joseph — a brilliant film built around a retired police officer — the brief was simple: nothing short of legendary.
Mammookka had worn the khaki in one superhit after another, bringing to life some of the most memorable and inspiring police characters in Malayalam cinema. So the tribute celebrated that very legacy — a cinematic montage of his celebrated cop films, presented in a custom tablet with a message thanking him for being an absolute inspiration.
Mammookka's Khaki Legacy - A Tribute. (Click To Watch)
Steve Jobs said it best: “Packaging is theatre.” So we made the box part of the story too. An actual police uniform was taken apart and its elements — collar, pockets, stars, studs and all — were used to reimagine the box as khaki. Custom name tags bearing the names of Mammookka's popular police characters brought his cinematic legacy to life. And, of course, a pair of Maui Jim shades — a nod to his well-known love for sunglasses — had to be part of it.
The box didn't just hold a tribute. It performed one.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: VIRUS
Some stories don't just inspire you. They make you want to create something in return.
The Malayalam film Virus was one of those stories for me. Inspired by the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the film captured the courage, compassion and collective spirit with which the state faced an extraordinary crisis. It was a story of people coming together, and of Kerala showing the world what resilience and humanity could look like in the face of fear.
That story inspired me to curate a gift for the makers of the film — something that didn't simply celebrate Virus, but brought its world to life in a completely unexpected way.
A miniature art piece, beautifully brought to life by Ponni of "Artini" , recreated the people behind the film within a cinematic world inspired by Virus. But the magic went beyond the miniature itself. Every element of the presentation drew from the film's visual language, making the entire gift feel as though it had stepped straight out of the world of Virus.
A story of courage. A gift of admiration.
LITTLE STEPS, BIG LOVE
Some gifts arrive before the person even does.
This one was for baby Izahaak, the much-awaited new addition to Malayalam film actor Kunchacko Boban's family — another curation actor-director Joju George entrusted me with.
There was so much joy around his arrival. After all the anticipation, this was a moment the family had been waiting to celebrate, and a beautiful expression of friendship from Joju.
So the gift had to match the emotion.
Thoughtfully curated and personalised with Izahaak's name and initials, it brought together beautiful little pieces chosen especially for him. And then came the presentation — an expansive, larger-than-life display, complete with a grand stand and an entire visual world created around the little one.
A warm, thoughtful and practical gift, put together with all the joy that surrounded his arrival.
A little arrival. A big celebration.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
For another business owner, the gift didn't start with what he owned. It started with who he was.
We brought all of that together in a mixed-media artwork created especially for him — riding into the mountains, wearing a jacket bearing those very words. It wasn't a portrait of the man. It was a portrait of his passions, personality and philosophy. With layers, texture and depth, the artwork came alive through the work of "ArtByVineetha"
And, once again, the packaging had to be theatre. The presentation couldn't simply contain the artwork; it had to extend the story. So we brought in actual motorcycle parts — fenders and other salvaged elements — to build the presentation around his passion for motorcycles. Even the card carried the theme, complete with tyre marks and the visual language of the open road.
Everything came together as one story: the man, his passions, his philosophy and the road ahead.
Some gifts tell a story. The best ones become one.
RAGS TO RICHES
Some stories are simply too extraordinary for a conventional gift.
This one belonged to a Malayali businessman who went from washing 15 cars a day to owning a fleet of 15 — a journey of grit, resilience and transformation. Those close to him call him “King”, so we brought in the story of King Mahabali, the legendary King of Kerala, to honour the humble beginnings of a man who had built his own kingdom.
And where do you put a story like that?
Inside a simple bucket.
A rag, some polish and a whole lot of symbolism turned an ordinary bucket into an unexpected tribute to his journey — from washing cars to building a kingdom of his own. At the heart of it was a beautifully crocheted Mahabali, brought to life by "TheNeedlewoman"
A humble beginning. A remarkable journey.
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To everyone who has trusted me with their stories, milestones and special moments — thank you for letting me be part of them.
Because anyone can fill a box.
The magic lies in filling it with meaning.
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