An advertisement by a jewellery brand has sparked a buzz on the Internet for all the right reasons. For its latest campaign, titled 'Pure as love', Kerala-based Bhima Jewellers chose to capture and celebrate the journey of a transwoman. The one-minute-forty-second long video begins with the protagonist identifying as a woman. With time, the audience accompanies the woman on her transition and we see her grow physically and emotionally empowered. The milestones of the journey are marked by jewellery, presented -- and shared with her -- by her supportive family. The commercial begins with her receiving a pair of anklets from her father and the last shot features the woman as a South Indian bride sharing a laugh with him.
The video received immense praise on social media for breaking gender stereotypes. The brand was also applauded for shattering gender stereotypes and casting a transwoman as the protagonist. Meera Singhania Rehani, a 22-year-old student from Ambedkar University, Delhi, plays the protagonist and the advertisement was made by the Delhi-based agency Animal.
Reacting to the clip on Instagram, Dr Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju, one of Karnataka's first transgender doctor wrote, " Beautiful, beautiful ad."
Actress Shriya Pilgaonkar heaped praise on the team for pulling out such a beautiful commercial and wrote, "This is glorious. Kudos to the team."
The comment section was replete with praises. One user wrote, "Your heart is as pure as your gold. Beautifully crafted." Another wrote, "So, so beautiful and tender. It made me tear up. Wishing for more of this energy into the world."
Many described it as an "achievement of sorts" for India and one of the most heartfelt expressions of gender identity.
The new Bhima Jewellery ad is certainly an achievement of sorts for India. It has one of the most heartfelt expressions of gender identity seen in Indian advertising so far.
— Karthik (@beastoftraal) April 15, 2021
Agency: The Delhi-based independent creative agency, Animal. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/BcpBuRg9cK
Several people also thanked the jewellery brand for telling a story that needed to be heard.
This ad brought a year to my eyes. Every story matters. And this is told with such empathy.
— Natasha ???? نتاشا (@nuts2406) April 14, 2021
Thank you, Bhima Jewellershttps://t.co/QCn3of1tct
Singer Raghu Dixit said, "Wow! This was overwhelmingly beautiful!"
Wow! This was overwhelmingly beautiful! https://t.co/X2VPnpcciE
— Raghu Dixit (@Raghu_Dixit) April 16, 2021
Author Devdutt Pattanaik called it "a progressive ad from Kerala."
https://t.co/b6lGIl4XLt what a progressive ad from Kerala
— Devdutt Pattanaik (@devduttmyth) April 14, 2021
Take a look at some of the other reactions.
Bhima Jewellery. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TcPRwd52pr
— Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) April 15, 2021
Watching the new #BhimaJewellery ad on loop. So, just so divinely beautiful!
— Meghna (@me_mj77) April 15, 2021
Her smile at the end! ????
Hats off, the genius creative team behind !
As for Bhima , authenticity and purity are what they've always stood for. Sending love, as pure as your gold for this attempt! ????
Wow!
— ପ୍ରିୟଦର୍ଶୀ/प्रियदर्शी/Priyadarshi/ਪ੍ਰਿਯਦਰਸ਼ੀ (@MajChowdhury) April 15, 2021
Finally, I see a brand advertisement which has empathy. This is so beautiful!@deepsealioness @Vidyut @RichaChadha @ranjona @rupagulab @sonaliranade https://t.co/R3p2muRzLg
"Bhima turns 100 in four years, and we feel that as a brand with such credibility, we want to lend our voice to causes that matter today. This ad is special as it takes us through the journey of a trans person but focuses on the positive side," Navya Suhas, online operations head of Bhima, told the Mint newspaper.
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