Malayalam cinema’s undisputed doyen Mohanlal recently broke rules of conventional advertising with a jewellery ad that has gone viral on the internet. What was a risky artistic experiment for his stylist, Shanthi Krishna, became a runaway success largely because the actor was so confident in the unconventional vision.
The commercial, with the typically macho superstar stylishly dressed in jewellery, was a risk-taking act in an industry that is often held back by conventional gender depictions. Krishna had great concerns at first about how the audience would respond, and she was scared of a backlash of online trolling at a time when anything is under scrutiny. Still, Mohanlal’s belief in the merits of the campaign as art helped to be the final bulwark against such fear, resulting in a commercial hailed as a forward-thinking message and classy presentation.
Creating a Daring Vision
Mohanlal’s stylist of more than a year and a half, Shanthi Krishna, was thrust into the unknown in the case of the Vinsmera Jewels advertisement. Her big worry was to strike a fine balance: choosing an outfit that would not over-feminize the actor but manage to strongly showcase the delicate jewellery. It was no easy task, considering Mohanlal’s well-established image as India’s archetypal hero of masculinity in the movies.
The selection of a collarless shirt, originally intended to be hidden beneath a suit and subsequently foregrounded, was an indicator of the careful consideration devoted to discreetly incorporating the jewellery without losing his natural self. Krishna admitted to being “extremely tense” over the possibility of hurtful online responses, a ubiquitous concern within the ultra-connected world of the present era wherein public perception can quickly become violently negative.
Trust in the humble yet sage counsel of Mohanlal–treating it as just a “piece of art” and leaving her best at it can calm her nerves and turn on the creative energies. This helped her to ease the pressure even more to go ahead on collaborative lines with Prakash Varma, an award-winning ad filmmaker who even starred in the commercial himself, thus making an atmosphere conducive for artistic maneuverability.
The Actor’s Unshakeable Belief
This was perhaps the only justification for the stylist’s horizon of apprehension regarding acceptance of the ad which did not confirm to the traditional gender roles in a jewellery advertisement. Mohanlal proved that he was one hundred percent correct by looking relatively unconcerned. Such smooth elegance in an androgynous character, totally unconcerned about the surroundings of jewellery, held audiences spellbound. The commercial has been immensely applauded for its subtle but strong redefinition of masculinity, equating elegance and ornamentation with no gender.
This type of a portrayal did indeed throw up some fiery debates on inclusivity and self-expression, thus reticulating some time-honored norms about the society. Mohanlal understood art and performance so well that with these he could break inhibitions and deliver an ad which will remain in memory for all times to come and be worth millions, although it goes without saying that true art can actually ride over all preconceptions and online dissection.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
