This new ad featuring Vir Das is slapping all sexist advertisements and we are loving it!

Want to sell your soft drink? Wait, first focus on how the smooth, orange liquid placidly falls through her think, red lips. Want to sell your deodorant? Won’t happen until a set of women run the race of their lives behind the fragranced man. Oh, you’ve a two-wheeler to sell? How is that possible until you give a generous lift to an abala nari ? When you know that a blatant commentary on the product and its usefulness won’t draw attention, make it more spicy. How? Add some woman-body! What sells better than that? Not the drink, let your viewer fantasize about those ripe lips. Owning a bike is not manly enough until it woos a woman. And who does not know? Ladies are actually that easy to access; all you need is to spray a good smell!

We do not quite think there’s a lack of feminists in Bollywood. Time and again, issues like disparity is remunerating between male and female actors. Female leads receiving  lesser screen presence than males have made it to discussions, debates and explosive statements. We wonder where all the zeal vanishes when advertisers make the most out of objectifying a woman in order to attract more attention and boost the sale of their products; and more sadly, when many leading ladies of Bollywood themselves are a part of it.

So much of hue and cry about sexual violence. So much in the name of empowerment of women.  Amidst all this, ruthless objectification of women is being sold inside the attractive package of urban products. Looks like it doesn’t bother the intellectual minds. However, there is someone who has finally raised his voice.

Actor-comedian Vir Das has recently appeared in a commercial of a deodorant called ‘He’. The advertisement is as sarcastic as it could be; but it does hit you. If all these days you’ve been a silent observer to how women are used as nothing more than attractive and accessible show-pieces in popular ads, it is possible that your perspective be shaken up this time. Why? Watch it yourself.

We must admit, this was a smart move by the advertisers.  They have correctly catered to the right group of audience; the ones who were pretty much done with the lame and shameless projection of women. But Vir Das certainly deserves a series of claps for this one.

How about assimilating the fact into yourself that typecasting women really sucks? How about giving a little damn to the ethical part as well? How about considering the opposite gender as equal and not sub-ordinate?

Sounds tough? After the virtual slap Vir Das has just thrown, it won’t.

Ranjini Maitra

Journalist. Writer. Reader. Enthu cutlet. Mood-swing machine. Day dreamer. Sandwiched between ‘live life fully’ and ‘lose some weight’. Mantra of life: Love and love more.