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Suni Sunai: An Animated Film on India's
Disinformation Crisis
For
Graduation Project
at IIAD
Mentors
Divyesh Sangani: Bakarmax
Ikroop Sandhu: IIAD
What
Research Paper and Animation Film Design
Scope & Role
Design Research
Writing, Animating
Summary
Suni Sunai is an animated short film that explores India’s disinformation crisis made through a design research-led approach. Using humor without undermining the issue’s gravity, the film takes us into an absurd world where people stop reasoning—one that feels eerily close to reality.
Through this project, I investigated how people engage with fake news and how critical thinking can counter its influence. My research shaped the film’s narrative and my evolving problem statement from attempting to "solve" the crisis to questioning how we might encourage people to think critically. Suni Sunai highlights both the power and absurdity of misinformation in today’s world.
Watch the film!
The story follows a trivial argument between two siblings—one insists it is raining, while the other refuses to believe it. What should be easily verifiable spirals into a citywide crisis, exposing how misinformation spreads through money, belonging, and ignorance.
Process
Context
1. Setting and understanding the problem statement
2. Secondary research
3. Insight analysis
4. Primary research
5. Insight analysis
6. What outcome works best?
​7. Script writing and world building
8. Character design
9. Treatment Frames
10. Storyboarding
11. Animatic
12. Roughs and background art
13. Sound design, compositing
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Information is everywhere, I wake up to it, take it with me to the loo, scroll through it while commuting, and in many ways, it's my entire job. With the information revolution, we're constantly consuming content from countless sources, making it nearly impossible to fact-check everything. I’ve seen my own biases at play, I find it easier to believe some things over others. I’ve also seen this unfold in my own home, with my parents glued to their phones, absorbing everything from loud news anchors to bizarre astrology predictions. The sheer volume of information, both factual and misleading, makes it difficult to separate truth from fiction, making it a deeply personal yet undeniably social issue. That’s why I chose to work on fake news.
Problem Statement:
The problem statement for this project evolved as research deepened my understanding of the underlying issue. While the project remained within the realm of misinformation, new insights led to reframing the central question to make it more actionable. At the outset, the project focused on a broad and systemic issue: “How do we solve the fake news crisis in India?” This question framed misinformation as a large-scale crisis requiring a direct solution. However, as I began researching, I realized that addressing the entire fake news ecosystem was too vast and complex for a single design intervention and hence research and reframing* helped me evolve my problem statement.
*(I read about reframing in IDEO’s book- “Creative Confidence”, which highlights how changing the way a problem is framed can lead to more actionable solutions—for example, instead of asking “How do we get people to exercise more?” we might ask, “How might we make movement a fun part of daily life?)
Understanding fake news
Secondary research
​Understanding the categories of false information- misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation was important to tackle the problem statement as each type has different intent and impact, requiring tailored responses. Misinformation spreads unintentionally, while disinformation is deliberate, and malinformation involves real information used harmfully. Recognizing these differences was important for me to understand the motivations and external factors influencing the spread of fake information. I made the following flow chart to understand the differences between the three.

Secondary research
Please click here to view the research paper for in depth secondary research. The framework for this research paper is depicted on the right using a brainstorming map

Primary research process
1. Intital probe
2. Survey deployment and analysis
3. Observational research
4. Application to script writing
Primary research
Initial probe
To start, I conducted a small experiment to test how easily my friends would believe fake news when it came from a trusted source- my WhatsApp. I photoshopped a news clipping from 2015 to make it appear as a recent report on the infamous Maggi ban, a topic people care about but that wouldn’t significantly impact their daily lives, and observed their reactions.
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Fake news

Real news

Fake news
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Primary research
Learnings from initial probe
9 out of 10 people believed me, and the reactions were interesting. The funniest and scariest one was when my friend panicked and immediately told her brother about the supposed Maggi ban. His instant reaction was to buy ₹1000 worth of Maggi from Blinkit to stock up and resell it later. He only bothered to check Google for verification after making the bulk purchase. The other responses are shown in the screenshots below. The only person who questioned the news noticed the old Maggi logo in the photo attached to the clipping.
What I learned from this experiment is how easily misinformation can spread, especially when people trust the source without double-checking. It highlighted the power of urgency and fear in decision-making and how quickly people can act without verifying facts. It also made me realize how subtle details, like an outdated logo, can be a simple yet effective way to challenge the authenticity of a claim. And, it taught me how easy it is to generate fake information — it only took me 5 minutes to create and spread it.
Primary research
Survey development and deployment
Through my secondary research, I explored the various reasons people believe fake news and the challenges in tackling it. To deepen my understanding, I conducted a survey to identify what people around me perceive as the most pressing issue.
I conducted a survey* with 30 respondents to identify the most prominent reasons people believe fake news, using the insights to shape my film’s script. However, my first attempt revealed a key challenge—those who shared malinformation were often unaware of it, leading to inaccurate responses.
Through further research, I came across blind spot bias—the tendency to recognize biases in others while overlooking them in ourselves. To address this, I refined my approach using indirect questioning. Instead of asking participants directly about their own news consumption, I first had them evaluate the habits of their parents, partners, friends, or siblings. This perspective-shifting technique encouraged more objective responses. I then followed up with self-reflective questions, allowing participants to critically assess their own behavior with greater honesty.
*Click on "survey" to see the questionnaire
Primary research
Insights from survey
1. ​Social media habits reinforce echo chambers
A majority of participants reported consuming news primarily through social media, often engaging with similar perspectives repeatedly. This suggests that algorithm-driven content curation is limiting their exposure to diverse viewpoints, reinforcing misinformation cycles.
2. People don’t realize when they spread misinformation
​Many respondents believed they were good at identifying fake news, yet their answers indicated they rarely verify sources. This aligns with the concept of blind spot bias, where individuals recognize misinformation in others but fail to see their own role in spreading it.
3. Confirmation bias shapes how people engage with news
Respondents were more likely to trust news that aligned with their personal beliefs and were skeptical of opposing views. When asked about fake news, they often pointed out biased behavior in their family or friends but hesitated to acknowledge their own biases.
3.People resist challenges to their beliefs
Directly questioning respondents about their own news-sharing habits led to defensive responses. However, when asked about their close circle first, they were more reflective hence people resist challenges to their beliefs but open up when approached differently
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Primary research
Conclusions
By this point in the project, through all the insights I gathered, I realized that the core issue wasn’t just the spread of fake news, but that people often didn’t question themselves because they firmly believed they were right. While interventions like fake news detectors could help, I recognized that I couldn’t fully control the spread of fake news, as it’s such a widespread and complex issue. What was truly needed was a shift in people’s behavior, encouraging them to be more open to questioning the information they come across. This insight led me to narrow my focus from the broader crisis of fake news to the more specific challenge of changing individual habits and mindsets.

Primary research
What outcome works the best?
I chose to create an animated film on fake news because my research revealed a crucial insight- most people don’t realize when they are sharing misinformation. Confirmation bias reinforces their belief that their version of the truth is absolute, making them resistant to opposing views. This resistance is especially strong when misinformation aligns with topics they deeply care about. Animation, combined with humor, offers a way to bypass this defensiveness. Laughter creates a sense of ease, making people more open to questioning their assumptions and engaging with new perspectives.
Primary research
Observational research
I watched 20 news debates to analyze the characteristics of news anchors, the techniques they use to sensationalize news, and the typical behavior of panelists.
I examined the dynamic between anchors and panelists, the visual interface of news screens, and the role of advertisements in shaping narratives. To ensure relevance, I referenced from the list news channels gathered from my survey, focusing on recurring patterns and engagement tactics.
Primary research
Key insights from observational research
​If a news channel is owned by a company with political affiliations, the narratives and coverage will subtly or overtly align with theirs.
​The use of dramatic language, background music, and emotionally charged visuals influences how viewers perceive an event.
​News outlets shape public opinion not just by what they report, but also by what they omit.
Headlines and keywords used in reporting subtly shape audience perception.
​Debate panels and expert discussions are often curated to favor a particular side.
​News channels often sensationalize issues to make the audience feel like they must react immediately.
Phase 2: Animation process
Script writing
​Using these insights about my environment and characters, I began drafting my script. On the left are the original versions of my stories and their drafts unedited and raw. The goal was to generate ideas freely without the fear of writing a bad story. While many of these drafts may not be strong, they were essential stepping stones toward my final narrative. Throughout the process, I ensured that I didn’t limit myself creatively, allowing room for exploration and unexpected directions.
One consistent piece of feedback I received was that every situation and character in my story should serve a purpose rather than exist just for the sake of fiction. To address this, I kept a journal where I analyzed my stories from a logical perspective- breaking them down, questioning every element, and ensuring they contributed meaningfully to the overall narrative. It felt like being a mad scientist dissecting my own work. My takeaways from this phase are: Identify and eliminate logical fallacies in the story, Question the purpose of each character—why do they exist, and what do they add? Create a chart mapping all story elements and justify their presence in the world you’ve built.
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Phase 2: Animation process
World building
After all this ideation, I felt stuck. I had been working solely with text, and shifting to visual concept cards helped me break through that block by allowing me to better visualize my ideas. Learning: Sketching helps me refine and expand my ideas while also making it easier to communicate them to others.

Who runs my brain?

Why the distance?

Universe of me

Who runs my brain?
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Phase 2: Animation process
Character design
Starting with rough drawings, I made character sheets for my main characters
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Phase 2: Animation process
Treatment frames
I created treatment frames to define the visual style, mood, and coloring approach before full production. My mentors and I decided to mix the upper right and lower left one.
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Phase 2: Animation process
Storyboarding
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I kept switching between storyboarding and animatics, refining through mistakes until the seventh animatic became the final one. While there was still room for improvement, my timeline didn’t allow for further revisions. On the left is the first version of my storyboard put up followed by jpegs to view.

Story BOARD :)

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Story BOARD :)
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Phase 2: Animation process
Animatic
Animatics are rough, timed sequences of a storyboard with basic motion and audio. They helped me visualize pacing, composition, and storytelling before full animation begins.

Phase 2: Animation process
Roughs and background art

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Ending note
The end! If you are reading this, thank you so much for going through the entire case study!
Here are some behind the scenes:
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