In the bustling metropolis of Bombay, hidden in the labyrinthine bylanes, lies a workshop that brings dreams to life. It’s a place where steel blends with art, and engineering meets imagination to create bespoke motorcycles that are truly one of a kind. This is Bombay Custom Works by Shail Seth.
We had the opportunity to film and photograph this incredible space for Royal Enfield, and it was a project that felt connected to the town in every possible way. The workshop didn’t feel like a separate world tucked away from Bombay, it felt like an extension of it. Every motorcycle, every part, every piece of design carried the spirit of the streets, the sea, and the skyline.
The motorcycle we shot is built for the city, in the city, and by a true-blooded Mumbaikar. Its sleek lines, edgy design, and bold paintwork tell the story of a city that never sleeps, people who never stop pushing boundaries, and a culture that is both rooted and constantly evolving.
Our goal for this project was to capture the energy of the machine without losing the essence of the place where it was born.
We focused on letting the environment become part of the narrative: the textured walls of old South Bombay, the sharp contrasts of light and shadow that Mumbai’s narrow lanes create, the ever-present buzz that’s just part of life here.
Shooting in a city like Mumbai always comes with its set of challenges. Space is tight. Light changes in seconds. Crowds are a part of the background whether you plan for them or not. Framing the custom motorcycle in such a way that it looked powerful but also real and authentic to the streets it was meant to rule, took patience and a lot of on-the-spot adjustments.
That’s the thing about working in real spaces, with real machines and real cities.
You don’t control everything, and that’s fine. Sometimes you just have to observe, adapt, and work with what the space gives you.
Bombay Custom Works, with its mix of grit, creativity, and sheer craftsmanship, made our job easier in a lot of ways. Because when the subject is strong, you don’t have to force the story, you just have to show up, look carefully, and capture what’s already there.
We’re not the biggest studio out there, and that’s by design. Lifeworks Studios is proudly boutique. When you work with us, you’re speaking directly with the creators, the photographers, filmmakers, editors, and producers who will bring your vision to life. No middle layers, no unnecessary fluff. Just honest collaboration, focused craft, and a shared obsession with getting it right. We take responsibility and give clear recommendations. We want our clients to feel comfortable and to come back.
Lifeworks Studios is a full service production film company offering a comprehensive range of services. From initial estimate and location research, to casting, pre-production, on-set and post-production, we will make shooting with us a memorable, hassle-free experience.
Client : Royal Enfield
Custom Motorcycle : Bombay Custom Works
Film Production : Lifeworks Studios
Direction & Cinematography : Ishan Saxena
Equipment : Canon R5 & DJI RS3
Voiceover Script : Arman Khan
Voiceover Artist : Gaurav Sajjanhar
Film Edit : Yuvraj Khindri
Sound Designing : Aditya Arya
