New Delhi: Sweets and sex toys have one thing in common. They are often labelled as “guilty pleasures,” particularly for women. It is this very ideology that led the Bombay Sweet Shop to collaborate with Leezu’s, a sexual wellness brand, to launch Dilbar.
The latest collaboration, although possessing the same name as Nora Fatehi’s popular track, has nothing to do with the actor. Instead, it is a limited-edition chocolate bar, which takes its name from Leezu’s newly launched massager of the same name.
“I think dessert and pleasure products make life worth living. Both Yash Bhanage (founder of Bombay Sweet Shop) and I strive to fill people up with joy, just from different openings,” said Leeza Mangaldas, founder of Leezu’s.
The Leezu’s-Bombay Sweet Shop collaboration marks a rare, first-of-its-kind crossover between two brands that have no obvious reason to meet, except a shared appetite for delight. Launched in the last week of January, it will run from 24 January to 14 February, aka Valentine’s Day.
At a time when brand collaborations have grown increasingly safe and predictable, this partnership breaks the mould by trading in surprise rather than sameness. Leezu’s shoppers receive Bombay Sweet Shop chocolates with their purchases, while Bombay Sweet Shop customers find Leezu’s Tann Mann Dil playing cards tucked into their orders, small, playful gestures designed to spark curiosity and connection.
The response has been immediate and telling. Bombay Sweet Shop has seen sales double compared to last year, with Dilbar, priced at Rs 210 with hampers starting from Rs 650 flying off shelves. Bhanage added that they have already sold over 2,000 Dilbars, while Leezu’s is seeing orders for its rainbow massager pour in from across the country.
“This collaboration is more like an influencer-led brand moment than a traditional brand partnership. Leeza brings with her an engaged audience of over a million followers and far stronger recall than Leezu’s Love as a standalone brand at this stage. Her personal brand is the real catalyst here,” Delhi-based brand expert Vishakha Talreja told ThePrint.
And, it is part of a larger trend, where unheard collaborations like Kay Beauty X Falguni Shane Peacock, Varun Rana X Obeetee, de Gournay X Tarun Tahiliani showcase how much chatter can be generated when distinct creative languages merge, but with an intention not just to rake in views.
What makes Bhanage-Mangaldas’s campaign interesting, though, as per Talreja, is that it’s “out-of-the-box without trying too hard.”
“In a cluttered market, where international chocolate brands, legacy Indian players, and a growing wave of homegrown small-batch chocolatiers are all competing for attention, this collaboration cuts through almost effortlessly. It doesn’t scream for views, it earns them,” she said.
For Bhanage, Bombay Sweet Shop is not a brand rooted in the 1980s, nor does he believe in playing it safe, but rather in the high-risk and high-rewards thinking.
“We always do collaborations which are meaningful and add some amount of depth in the kind of brand we are. We want to be the Indian sweets brand of today, which talks to the India of today,” said Bhanage, founder of Hunger Inc, which has restaurants such as Veronica’s, O’Pedro, The Bombay Canteen and Papa’s in Mumbai.
“Discussions around sexual health and pleasure should be normalised, and we shouldn’t hesitate to clearly express our stance,” he added.
Also Read: Love, lies, laundry & UCC—inside India’s live-in relationships
‘Daring makes me feel super young’
Last year, Bhanage stumbled upon the word “dilbar” on Mangaldas’s partner Hannah’s Instagram. And that was all it took to set his creative wheels spinning. When he floated the idea of a collaboration to his team, they didn’t hesitate. For once, everyone was ready to hop on the wild ride.
The result was the Dilbar chocolate, a limited-edition Valentine’s special that’s as indulgent as it sounds. With a crisp, melt-in-your-mouth patisserie base, layered with strawberry caramel, crowned with a lush strawberry cheesecake made from frozen strawberries and silky strawberry mascarpone, dunked in a generous, rich dark chocolate.
Despite having multiple legacy brands to his name, Bhanage didn’t pause to worry about backlash or raised eyebrows that might come his way due to the collaboration. In fact, the moment reminded him of 2015, when The Bombay Canteen first opened its doors. No butter chicken. No chicken tikka masala. No butter naan.
One early TripAdvisor review declared, “This restaurant won’t last a month.” Fast forward ten years, and The Bombay Canteen is now a cornerstone of Mumbai’s food scene.
Bhanage has never been one to follow a preset path; he prefers carving his own way, usually the daring one.
“It makes me feel super young again,” he said with a grin.
“If you’re not doing daring things, you’re probably not doing enough to earn a few haters. People often ask if we’ll alienate our demographic. But our audience stands with us not just because we make great products, but it’s because of who we are and what we stand for, Mangaldas was quick to add that provocation isn’t the goal.
“I actually want people to talk, share their objections, have conversations, and discuss them with us. We’re not here to provoke anyone,” she said.
For the duo, the Dilbar collaboration makes for the perfect gift, whether it’s for Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or a little self-love. Especially for first-timers exploring pleasure products, they believe there’s no better occasion.
Interestingly, Bombay Sweet Shop and Leezu’s share more than just bold ideas. While Bombay Sweet Shop has modernised traditional Indian mithai with creations like Hazelnut Besan Barfi and Walnut Milk Cake, Leezu’s has Indianised modern pleasure toys, naming their massagers Pyari and Zubaan.
“Our packaging, our product names, the way we market and get people excited, it’s so aligned with Bombay Sweet Shop,” Mangaldas said. “The stars just feel aligned. This collaboration was a total no-brainer.”
This brand synergy works because each partner brings something the other lacks.
She also calls the campaign “deeply Bombay-centric.”
Also Read: Be soft, smile more, never text first—‘feminine energy’ is men’s new obsession
A landmark moment
This brand collaboration is far more than it appears at first glance; it’s a landmark moment. Back in 2020, when sexual health creators like Mangaldas first began posting content around sexuality, the response was anything but welcoming. Their videos were often met with discomfort, resentment, and harsh backlash in the comments section.
Reflecting on her journey, from navigating online criticism to now partnering with one of Mumbai’s most iconic brands, Mangaldas says the collaboration is proof of how much society has evolved. According to her, Indians are privately far more open-minded than they’re publicly willing to admit.
“One of my greatest joys has been witnessing and helping create this shift toward normalising conversations around sexuality and pleasure. Today, the fact that you can order both chocolate and a Zubaan on quick-commerce apps is nothing short of revolutionary,” she said.
Leezu’s products are now listed on quick-commerce platforms such as Swiggy Instamart alongside everyday essentials like ghee, atta, rice, and groceries. They are delivered in as little as 10 minutes, at any time of day. According to Mangaldas, this growing supply and demand shows that brands, consumers, and marketplaces alike are recognising sexual wellness as just as essential as physical health.
“It really speaks to how accepted and normal these aspects of life have become,” she added. “Everyone deserves pleasure, across all genders, and people aren’t squeamish about it anymore. This collaboration is just another example.”
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)