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
youtube.comThe 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