PROJECT
Dabba Cartel
PLATFORM
Netflix
YEAR
2024
Netflix’s Dabba Cartel was a year-long, immersive project where I worked as the lead graphic designer and set dresser. I was involved in world-building from the ground up — from mood boards to designing props, drug packaging, and character spaces for the fictional Vivalife universe. I also dressed key sets like drug labs and homes, working closely with the production designer to craft detailed, story-driven spaces. It was the kind of project where building a fake pharmaceutical empire felt strangely close to launching a real one — just with more chaos and a lot more drugs
The foundation of the Dabba cartel universe is Vivalife Pharmacueticals. We developed the visual identity of the Vivalife brand, designing key graphic elements from logos, letterheads, ID cards, and signages to murals, wall decals and developing the colour palette for the film. The space was dressed with minimal yet intentional props to reflect the company's sterile and powerful presence with a heavy graphic presence.
After digital and field research of how pharma drug labs look and function we dressed the Orchidia drug labs, creating detailed workstations with pill presses, weighing scales, sterile trays, and packaging equipment to reflect an industrial-grade setup. Custom pharmaceutical brands like Modella and Stravinol were designed, with complete label systems, foil strips, and packaging that had clinical authenticity.
Xipro Labs (Manufacturing and Storage Unit)
We designed and dressed the Xipro Labs storage unit, building towering racks of Modella boxes to create a believable, large-scale pharmaceutical distribution center. Every label, box, and warehouse prop was custom-made to subtly hint at the cartel’s industrial scale without losing the facade of legitimacy.
Sitara (Boutique Storefront)
We developed the visual identity for Sitara, a boutique that balanced understated luxury with warmth, using earthy textures, curated displays, and a muted palette to reflect Varuna Shankar’s public persona. The boutique was layered with handmade branding elements, from the storefront signage to product tags, disguising its role as a money-laundering front for the Dabba Cartel.
Character Homes – Mrs. Tijori & Moshumi’s Apartments
We dressed Mrs. Tijori's apartment with vintage curios, framed family photos, and religious symbols to reflect her old-school elegance and rooted beliefs. Moshumi’s space was filled with contemporary, quirky items like local art prints, posters, and soft textiles to match her vibrant, emotionally complex character.
Bhagirath Palace Patch Shoot (Mockup to Real Set in Mumbai)
We built Bhagirath Palace set in Mumbai by referencing original Delhi street visuals and translating them into graphic storefronts, signages, and product packaging for the pharmacy strip. The final set was an exacting recreation, layered with decades-old textures, hand-painted signs, and prop-filled shop counters to evoke chaotic authenticity
(Image 01:Mockup, Image2/3: Set Images)
We designed the entire visual identity for Kishore Properties, crafting a hyper-local, relatable brand language through custom business cards, brochures, coasters, posters, and shopfront signage. The office space was detailed with practical, slightly overfilled interiors, layered with promotional material and everyday objects to authentically represent a small-town real estate consultant trusted by the community.
Credits
PRODUCTION COMPANY
EXCEL ENTERTAINMENT
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
SHRUTI GUPTE
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER / SET DRESSER
SAVANI GODBOLE