Not the gods of small things

The instance, of how a print ad meant for a specific audience went viral and created a stir, calls for a discussion about whether we need to be more careful about our content and whether audiences too need to consider context before reacting

The print ad that created a furore

September 2017 witnessed a mighty furore over the representation of Hindu deities in two independent Indian advertisements. A print ad in a Kolkata daily, showing Goddess Durga and her children enjoying salon services at a Jawed Habib salon, irked religious sentiments, while Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)’s spring lamb campaign stirred up a hornet’s nest for showing Lord Ganesha joining other deities and prophets including Jesus, Aphrodite, Buddha and Moses, for a spring barbecue of lamb. Hairstylist Jawed Habib, the owner of the salon brand, was subjected to online trolling and legal persecution. Eventually, he issued a video apology.

These instances raise important questions: Do makers need to be more careful about the nature of their content now, and do audiences too need to try and understand the context of content before reacting? We thought it imperative to ask creative professionals and others alike about the same...

Interestingly, most people bitter about the salon ad do not feature among its target audience — the Bengalis (locals of Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal). Amused by the reactions online, writer Sreeparna Mazumder says, “Mother Durga is probably the only goddess who has been so flexibly humanized for so long. For the Bengalis, she is like the daughter of the house, and Durga Puja (the annual festival involving the worship of the goddess) symbolizes her homecoming. Hence it’s necessary that she be pampered – be it with food or salon services.”

Sreeparna’s thoughts hold true when we look at the many special Durga Puja covers of Bengal’s popular newspapers and magazines. While Karthik, Durga’s son, is seen taking a selfie on one cover, you can see the whole family riding a speed boat on another. Associations in Kolkata also exercise immense liberty with how they make and drape their idols of the goddess during the festival, we are told. “People also questioned as to why only the Bengalis had to have an opinion about the ad, but the fact remains that it was meant for the Bengali audience, for whom such representations are normal,” says Sreeparna, adding, “It is important that audiences take into consideration the social context of content before jumping the gun.”

The Durga Puja ad was meant to be targetted at the Bengali audience. “Most are delighted with it. Being a Bengali myself, I can vouch for that,” says creative professional Sumanto Chattopadhyay. “From our children’s magazines to books, everywhere, this kind of tongue-in-cheek portrayal is very normal.”

Social media played a major role in putting the ad out for a larger, more diversified audience. This said, does it mean that content makers need to be more careful now? Sumanto Chattopadhyay, chairman and chief creative officer of Soho Square, an Ogilvy Group company, says, “If there’s a significant section of people violently protesting against something, it’s clearly in the interest of the advertiser to avoid such themes. But, if you ask me, it’s sad to see such a narrow-minded approach prevailing in these times.” Sumanto recalls the minor flak their 2015 PSA for the Indian Head Injury Foundation received. “The concept spoke about how deities that protect us, also protect their own heads by sporting crowns. Here, these religious icons were used to send out a critical message about the importance of helmets, yet some took it out of context."

The MLA ad was found to be insensitive for portraying Ganesha promoting lamb consumption. Independent journalist and consulting Indologist, Urmi Chanda-Vaz, who renders research services for Indian television and academic projects in history, culture and mythology, says, “I think the ad makers should have been a little more culture-sensitive, given how Hinduism is largely associated with vegetarianism.” However, she’s quick to note, “But how does one explain the 'Uchchhishta Ganapati', a Tantric version of Ganesha, for example? The word ‘Uchchhishta’ refers to leftover food — ritually impure — which is one of the main components of his worship. Further, standard Tantric practices include the use of ‘panchamakaras’, or the five taboo ingredients, including meat. Does that make Ganesha a lamb-eating deity? I don’t know. You do the math.”

About the Australian ad, the Hindu community has a valid point. I don’t think a god should be seen as openly doing an act that is at logger-heads with his known lifestyle. All our gods should be bridges to our differences. ~ Father Cyril Desbruslais SJ

A news report by Bangalore Mirror, dated September 11, 2016, also throws light on how a sub-sect of the Kshatriya community offers meat as ‘naivedya’ (food offering to the divine) to Ganesha on the third day after Ganesh Chaturthi, a tradition followed by their ancestors, continuing till date. “Deities have long been represented in varying contexts. They’ve been changed to suit different social conditions or groups over time to drive home a point. Tulsidas' Ram-Lakshman-Sita, for example, are noticeably different from Valmiki's trio; if he invented a Lakshman Rekha to keep Sita 'within her boundaries', he was only reflecting the social conditions of his time. No religion can be set in stone. I feel it is imperative to keep redefining it in order to keep it relevant,” Urmi says.

What’s the ruckus really about?

“I think the backlash was only because of the name associated with the brand. I’m sure, if I had to print the same ad, nobody would have taken offence,” feels Sreeparna. Furthermore, Urmi points out, “The argument wasn’t over the use of religious motifs, in my opinion. We make or break rules as they suit us. How is plastering tiled images of deities on public walls to discourage spitting or urination any less of an ‘abuse’ than using deities to sell a service?”

In the historical context, Prophet Muhammad didn’t desire any pictorial representation of himself, lest it be worshipped; not even a good representation, which explains why the prophet doesn’t feature anywhere. Irrespective of our faiths, we need to nurture our creative spaces, rather than find ways to kill them. ~ Nazia Erum, writer and public speaker

---

This article was written for and published in The Times of India.

Articles > Community and Culture