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



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