"Corporate Sales Responsibility"

I guess it is high time we did something to Save our Tigers. Aircel came out with its research and gave us a number – 1411. Got a cute cub, some celebrities and started an initiative. But, what about the impact of this advertisement?

We can see a lot of money has been pumped into the making of these advertisements. There is an effort put in the technical aspects of the making of the ad. The camera work was good enough. The background score was more than average and it beautifully blended into the Aircel theme.

But the question remains. Did it have an impact? I feel it did, but only to a small extent. We are all talking about it. The dwindling numbers of the tiger population is now somewhat clearer than what it was before Aircel took up this “initiative”.

But on the flip side. One can clearly notice that Aircel is trying to gain publicity. Be it the deliberate resemblance of the tiger stripes to the Aircel logo, or the subtle and smooth blend of the background music into the Aircel theme. With the low client numbers of Aircel and the fact that bringing Dhoni into their commercial ads didn’t boost their sales, one does smell a rat.

Another thing that the makers of this ad must realise is that mere “talking, blogging and sharing” may not help a lot in saving the tigers from extinction. The tightening must be done at the government and at the grass root level as well. Considering that these ads have been made in English, it won’t have a lasting impact as the real threat to tigers is in jungles bordering villages where English has little or no place in communication at all.

Although I do agree that the real market for “tiger-products” is urban areas, we need to thank Aircel for taking the initiative of reminding us of our dying friend. But has this reminder been sent out of genuine concern? I really doubt so. Just a piece of advice to Aircel in the words of B Ramalinga Raju. This "initiative" of gaining publicity is “like riding a (virtual) tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.”

!dea's idea to save paper and use SMS and MMS was an instant hit. The ad was brilliant. The wit – amazing! The message – clear! The hidden agenda – obvious! I wonder how does the Aditya Birla Group function without using paper. Do they mail everything that they want to communicate? Or is their dependence on SMSs very high? Are contracts and other documents signed electronically? And cheques? Are they even used? I wonder if Kumar Mangalam Birla cycles to office everyday.

Let us not forget that the conglomerate has some business interests in the mining, cement and chemical sectors. All of which do have some negative fallouts on the environment. Does it want the general public to negate the damage it has caused on the environment through its business activities?

Although the sales of the cellular service provider grew approximately 32% (CAGR) over the last three years, Idea Cellular can still be considered a dwarf as compared to the others in this sector.

!dea has always been known for its splendid ads that fabulously blend logic and wit. “What an Idea Sirjee!” has found its place in daily communication. “Walk n Talk, Talk n Walk” became an anthem. AB’s Baby grew up and became !dea Sirjee!

The TV ads try to get us use the electronic mode of communication in order to save trees. The radio ads for saving trees and paper seem to be deliberate attempts to not only increase the sales, but also the revenue generated from sending SMSs and MMSs.

The latest ad in particular reminds me of a joke: Man is one such creature who cuts trees, makes paper and then writes on them SAVE PAPER!

Let me assume that not a single piece of paper was used in the ad. But what about the immense amount of fumes that the vanity vans and generator vans emitted into the atmosphere? These vans use up the diesel even when they are stationary. Were the techniques and equipments really eco-friendly?

To these companies: using social causes for boosting revenue is not a good idea, SirjeE!

Ishqiya

Another wonderful one from the Bharadwaj camp. God! Doesn’t Vishal Bharadwaj get tired of making awesome films?

Ishqiya is a comedy weaved beautifully in the web of crime, love and I must admit – lust. It is a story of two thugs: Iftekhaar a.k.a. Khalujaan and his nephew Babban who run away from their boss, Mushtaq Bhai. After all known people turn them down, they seek refuge with their friend Verma, but instead, find his widow Krishna (Vidya Balan).

The three devise a dangerous plan so that they can repay their debts to Mushtaq. The story takes many a twist as a different facet of Krishna is seen even as Khalujaan realises that he is falling in love with her. However, Babban is still reluctant to admit even to himself that he too has started liking her.

Each and every twist has been portrayed brilliantly. I must say that the lighting and the colours used can leave a lasting impact. One does notice the detailing in the make-up along with the voice tone, language, dialect and costumes. The entire set was made beautifully. I’m  pretty sure the genius in Nitin Desai felt satisfied after watching this set in the film. One can actually smell the village air while watching the movie. Vishalji proved that he is a great dialogue writer; once again after Kaminey. The dialogues and punch lines had just the perfect timing. Lines were delivered brilliantly. Subtle sleaze and comedy have also been marvelously blended. The chemistry that exist between a nephew and his uncle in a small town has also been well depicted.

However, I feel that the use of abusive language was not required in many places. Many swear words were needlessly repeated. Also, people may find the ending a bit vague as it does leave some stones unturned as to what happens to the love trio (Who the hell gets Krishna?). Maybe Vishalji wanted to leave it to the audience to figure that out.

The music was brilliant. Mr. Bharadwaj has laid equal emphasis on the background score as much as the songs. Even the music in the songs are very catchy. Gulzar’s lyrics maintain the essence of the BRAND GULZAR. The music and lyrics complemented each other quite well. Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji was a “very-well written song” considering the age of the character (Khalujaan) on whom the song was picturised. The tang of Ibn-e-Batuta will stick to one’s tongue for a very long time.

The actors were well selected. Each and every actor, no matter how much footage he/she got, performed brilliantly. Salman Shahid was exceptionally good as a stern but stupid and gullible Mushtaq.

Overall, the movie is brilliant and does justice to the stature of Vishal Bharadwaj. I would give a 4/5 for this movie. Truly Paisa VasooL!