A Prime Minister owning responsibility for what his government did years ago comes as a breath of fresh air. |
What I've Liked The Kurkure series or The-40-second-Sitcom as I call it, is definitely the flavour for this fortnight. Come to think of it, all that the TVC does is to follow the obvious route to tap into a lay viewer's sensibilities. But oddly enough this is one route that has never been explored before. |
Gentle, inoffensive humour (the kind that punctuates a normal 30-minute sitcom), the usual suspects that constitute a typical sitcom family, a product that fits so naturally into the scenario, topped up with a chirpy celebrity actress and you have quite a winner. |
Not quite the favourite in an awards line-up but definitely an enjoyable one. I'm glad that they have persevered with the idea for quite a while now. The initial episodes of most sitcoms are a little awkward till the creators and the audience warm up to each other and then you start embracing this new family as your own. |
I have become quite fond of the Kurkure family over time. I like the fact that most often I turn my gaze away from the TV and find my children and grandchildren fighting over the same packet, in much the same way as it happens in the TVC. |
I also like the fact that the family is contemporary with enough warmth, freedom and friendliness for everyone to be themselves. It is not so far ahead in its modernity that it slips out of reach, but is just aspirational enough to create desire and attainability. Yes indeed, 'kya family hai!' is a clever creative route that complements a hugely popular product. |
What I've Learned To err is human. And to admit it...superhuman! |
An agency chief once made a very astute remark to me. He pointed out that no team of his ever admitted that they were responsible for losing a pitch or a client. However he added, they always came to him with a very good set of reasons why they lost and... invariably it was never their fault! |
There is a phrase we used to be quite fond of in Mudra: 'Success has many baaps, failure has none!' Sadly, this attitude is not symptomatic only of the advertising fraternity. The tendency to deny responsibility is becoming alarmingly rampant. |
Nothing is ever anybody's fault. And yet, more things go wrong with frightening frequency these days. So when, in this happy, irresponsible world of denial, someone as eminent and well respected as our Prime Minister stood up and apologised for something his government did over 20 years ago, it was as if an unbelievable breath of fresh air breezed into our lives. |
A politician? Apologising? Who would ever believe that? Suddenly, a spark was lit. Maybe there was hope for all of us, after all! Because even though you can't undo a mistake, acknowledging it and feeling sorry that you committed one, is definitely a sign that you have learnt from it and hopefully a wiser you will pave the way for a more responsible future. |
What's more, our Prime Minister's apology was even more evocative because it was rendered with such spontaneity and grace. |
It is a grace that comes naturally to persons of character. Very rarely do people realise that it is the strength of the individual that is revealed when he or she is brave enough to own up. Character, courage, confidence. All leadership traits that reinforce the faith invested in the authority figure. |
I wonder if this is a reason why it is so difficult for people to admit they are wrong because they lack all of the above? Perhaps the lack of courage to face the consequences for your actions is what inhibits people from admitting they are wrong. |
All that I can conclude is that it points dismally to characterlessness. Good parenting is clearly the most obvious solution "" and parenting is not the responsibility of a person's birth parents alone but also teachers, bosses, coaches et al "" the entire 'authority' strata that he or she learns from. |