Rooting for Mala Saree’s New Commercial? You Might Want to See it in a New Light

Runout Films Ltd, recently released a commercial for Anwar Group’s Mala Saree, under the tagline shotoh rupe tumi oporupa (meaning, ‘you’re beautiful in every form’). Visually, the ad was a success with its poetic elements; however, it paints a rather archaic and generalised image of Bangladeshi women. Here are a few things our naked eyes may have stumbled to capture

Attention to details

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The ad opens with a scene showing a village girl playing hopscotch. Sure, your average ‘graamer meye’ can hop skip or traipse around as she pleases; just not in a blouse that bares her back, let alone her tattoo. Her styling too, contradicts the set up. The flowers tucked in her hair and those kundan earrings don’t quite do justice to the simplicity of village girls.

Timeline

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The ‘Rabindrik’ women may have moved the early 40s, but to bring her back to life in 2017 is a cliché of the highest order. In the age of CNGs, buses and Uber, we have fair maidens travelling from point A to B in a boat or commuting via train, wearing a perfectly pressed saree (presumably on her way to work).  Kudos on the artsy factor; can’t say the same about the context though.

Stereotypical gender roles

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Women are these sweet shy mystical creatures from the medieval era that must be graceful at all times. Isn’t that contradictory to the tagline?  In the real world, we tend to work up a bicep when trying to drape a saree; then comes the makeup-try keeping that intact in this scorcher!

Women empowerment (or lack thereof)

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Saree-clad women have achieved so much more at homes and in corporate fronts. Be it a stay-at home or a working mom, they’ve all braved several responsibilities all at once, in this dress. But here we are, telling young girls to aspire to be porcelain dolls by just dressing up and making merry.

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But we are glad that the ad wasn’t entirely whitewashed!

Be sure to check it on youtube

Client : Anwar Group
Brand: Mala Saree
Creative Director: Tanvir Hossain
Head of Strategic Planning: Asifuzzaman Khan
Copywriter: Apurba S Apu, কিঙ্কর আহ্সান , Md Shahed Faisal
Art Director: Tanvir Ahmed, n.zaman babu
Visualizer: Khaleed Bin Anwar, RH Rudro, Anik Mahmud
Account Executive: Sunny Mohammad Sayeem, Tushar Qazi Yamin Kabir
Executive: Sameer Jubair Atunu, Tanjila Afrin Trina
Production House: Runout Films
Director: Adnan Al Rajeev
DOP : Kamrul H Khosru
Producer: MD Habibur Rahman Tareq
Assistant Producer: Asaduzzaman Ripon
Line Producer: Murad Ahmed Shuvo, Shishir Islam
Production Manager: Shobuj Ali
Spot Edit : Ishtiak Ahmed Mashud
Offline : Prodip Bepari
Grade : Navin Shetty ( Nube Studio )
Original song: Manna Dey
Music : Arafat Mohsin ( Studio58 )
Music mix : Arafat Kirty
Singer : Shibu Kumar Shil
Sound Design : Ripon Nath
Sound Design Assistant : Shakirujjaman Pappu
Sound Post : Soundbox
CG : ASM Kawsar
First AD : Samiur Rahman
Assistant Directors : Mainuddin Siam , Saeed Al Noman Seeam , Anway Patwari , Moniruzzaman Monir, Naimur Rahman
Casting Assistant : Ador H Rahman, Kamrunnahar Koli, Nikita Ahamed
Post Supervisor : Shamim Khan
Post Assistant : Jobaidur Rahman
Location : Tonmoy Parvez
Costume & styling : Mahmudul Hasan Mukul
Styling Assistant : Muzaffor Mihir Mamun
Art : Shihab Nurun Nabi
Art Assistant : Nasib, Shojib
Make-up Artist : Robin
a RUNOUT FILMS presentation