For a major part of my childhood, we didn’t have cable TV at home as our parents thought it would interfere with our academic performance. Consequently, I literally grew up on Chitrahaar, Rangoli, Sunday telecast of Ramayana, and everything else that Doordarshan had to offer. The soul-stirring melody Ek Sur or Mile Sur Mera Tumhara was an internal part of this experience, perhaps the most memorable one.
I don’t know if it was the powerful music or the beautiful message of “unity in harmony” that appealed to me as a child. Though I strongly suspect that it was the messaging, that I came across in a number of ad campaigns to follow. Same reason why I feel majorly shocked after learning that Tanishq had to withdraw an ad with a similar messaging recently after getting vehemently trolled on Twitter.
In fact, #BoycottTanishq has been trending on Twitter since Monday after the ad was posted on the brand’s handle. The ad is being criticised by an angry faction on Twitter which is alleging that it is undermining Hindus, hurting Hindu sentiments, and promoting ‘love jihad.’ Pretty sure, risking intense troll-ire here as I say that the ad’s subject matter is nothing of that sort, and all you get to see is an interfaith baby shower with a Muslim mother-in-law throwing a god bharai party for her Hindu daughter-in-law. “But this ceremony is not part of your tradition, right?” the daughter-in-law innocently asks in the ad to which the mother-in-law replies: “Isn’t it a tradition for every home to keep daughters happy?”
Here, watch it for yourself:
If anybody has a problem with this beautiful ad, don’t watch it and share it
pic.twitter.com/w6zGf6emTp— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) October 13, 2020
However, shortly after the ad was posted on Twitter, Tanishq’s feed was flooded with trolls asking the brand to take it down and apologise. The ad’s meaning has been twisted to an unimaginable extent and exaggerated interpretations are being floated on social media. And we aren’t just talking about random social media trolls here. Take, for instance, Kangana Ranaut‘s interpretation of the same:
Unless you’re heavily biased, there is no way you’d equate that interpretation with what has been shown in the ad. There’s literally nothing that suggests that the girl has just been accepted by the family only after getting pregnant. It’s quite sad that an artist herself has come up with such a convoluted, make-believe interpretation here.
But, of course, there’s more. Here’s how a huge section of people online is reacting to the ad on Twitter:
Honestly, if you were to ask us, it is a beautiful ad that promotes nothing but love and mutual respect, irrespective of the religion. However, it is 2020 and we are legit living in a time when an advertisement is being trolled for trying to promoting communal harmony in the country. Isn’t that ridiculous AF? Also, if you think about it, aren’t we kinda going back in time?
Featured Image: Twitter
