Love you Grandma!

The good old Indian family is incomplete without its key character - the grandmother ('dadi / nani' in Hindi & 'Paati' in Tamil). The presence of a grandmother is a symbol of strength to any family and a source of immense security for grandchildren, who yearn for her ever growing care and affection.

India, having a tradition of joint families, has seen some good TV advertisements, where the grandma is a central character. These ads were mostly for consumer goods. With other product categories like mobile phones, automobile etc. grabbing more airtime these days and with plenty of nuclear families today, the grandma is slowly fading away from the ad scene. The fixation on celebrities for brand endorsements is also to be blamed.

I distinctly remember the ad for Woodwards Gripe Water from my days as a little boy (in the early 1990s).



Here the grandmother is portrayed as a wise old woman who has experienced the ups and downs in life and has the best advice to every tough situation that youngsters face newly. When the baby cries, the grandma says "Woodwards kuduka chollu... Nee kozhandaiya irukarche naan adhaan kuduthen" (Ask her to give Woodwards to the baby... When you were a baby, I gave you that). This brand has ridden for long on the strategic equity developed by the endorsement from the senior-most member in the household.

The grandmother is also the best friend to her grandchild, who loves to play around and tease her for fun. Her greatness lies in the fact that she can never get irked by the pranks played by her grandchild. This has been brilliantly depicted in a Titan advert. (see below)



The likable grandma of Aamir Khan in that ad is none other than Zohra Segal, the 98 year old actress who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan recently.

Didn't the grandma make advertisements more lively? I certainly think so, and miss her today!

(This post is a tribute to my kind, loving and caring grandmother - the first and biggest fan of my singing - who passed away earlier today. May her soul RIP)