THE INCOMPLETE MAN











Advertisements and commercials are created with only one objective: to influence us, to sell, to promote and, enhance the brand value. Why else, do you think, such amazing ads and commercials are created?

Several years ago, when Raymond started bringing out their commercials, ‘The Complete Man’, it had touched millions. Yes, I wasn’t the unsentimental odd-ball not to have been touched by it. After all, I was (I still am!) a ‘man’… and, Raymond was aiming to influence men directly, and men’s loved ones indirectly. It was a very effective campaign. Men, like me, wanted to be reassured that we were ‘Complete Men’… Ideals lovers, ideal husbands, ideal fathers, ideals grandpas, ideal uncles, ideal bosses etc… Perfect… Absolutely flawless. Yes, ‘The Complete Men’… Very happy, content and blessed souls in life!

But, were we?

I remember settling for Raymond when the time had come to select the wedding-suit material! Maybe, I wanted to present myself before my would-be wife as a ‘Complete Man’…

Well, after nearly 28 years of our marriage, you know how it can be… I mean, how ‘complete husband’ can a man be for his wife, how ‘complete father’ can he be for his children!

It makes me laugh and cry together, whenever I think of it!

Ideals are ideals… Great commercials are meant to be idealistic, romantic, dreamy… and they are meant to transport us, at least for those few seconds, to our fantasy world, make us forget our daily concerns over our flaws as humans - as men and women.


Ever since the bitter feud between the owners of Raymond – Vijaypat Singhania and his son Gautam Singhania – began to make noise outside the JK House, I have been tracking their story.  Like the rest of my fellow beings, the Singhania story that I was getting to read was what was reported in the media… I was not a privy to those stories, and, hence, I had no business to comment on them. If at all those stories did anything to my mind, it is this: they helped me discard my blinkers about human completeness or perfection…. They helped me to realize, that what you wore as your attire and what you wore as your attitude were two different things… That, your love for your children, too, should not be blinded by emotions and fantasies… That, we all are living in a ‘Kalyug’… and, therefore, what happens inside the JK House can – and does – happen in all the houses…

Don’t’ want to believe?

Well, please don’t!

A couple of days ago, when I read about the court order dismissing the plea of Gautam, the son and the Chairman of Raymond empire, seeking to stop his father, Vijaypat Singhania, from publishing the latter’s proposed autobiography. I wasn’t surprised, shocked, saddened or overjoyed by this report at all. Yes, very importantly, I wasn’t surprised or shocked to know about the title of the great, strong man’s proposed life-story…

‘THE INCOMPLETE MAN’!










GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Naidunia

Video: YouTube



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...