MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • What got my anger on the boil, more than the US bombings, is something that happened in our own backyard: Cruel apathy shown by many motorists during the horrible Jaipur road accident, and the resultant tragedy

    Anil Thakraney: CCTV footage should be used to kill apathy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I can understand why the Indian media got into a tizzy over the Boston bombings. It’s not because lives in America are more precious than, say, those in Pakistan and Afghanistan (bombings in these nations are now a routine event), but because the latest attack has demolished the perception many have harboured for a decade: That the US, post 9/11, has been able to lick terrorism on its soil. Now that we know even that nation is unsafe, it means there is no safe place left in this world, and that’s an unsettling thought.

     

    However, what got my anger on the boil, more than the US bombings, is something that happened in our own backyard: Cruel apathy shown by many motorists during the horrible Jaipur road accident, and the resultant tragedy. Here’s a link, in case you missed the story:

     

    Clearly, it isn’t an isolated case, this happens all over the nation, we seem to have turned into a nation of billions who don’t give a shit about the lives of fellow citizens. This is completely shameful, and it has to be dealt with, we simply cannot ignore it with a shrug. My thinking is that the television media should closely examine the CCTV footage, and with the help of the concerned RTOs, expose every single motorist who coolly drove past the accident spot. Perhaps the best way to tackle such unforgivable selfishness is by naming and shaming. Let’s put out the faces of the people who refused to help. Of course, one can’t legally punish them, but the threat of shaming will help in energizing others, the next time such a deathly road accident happens.

     

    With the possibility of terror attacks on the rise, various state governments are installing CCTV cameras on many roads/streets/junctions. The media must use this opportunity to help in exposing callous, insensitive people. And simultaneously, honour those good men and women who stop to help. This is the only way to shake up this apathetic nation.

     

    We’ve got the technology, now let’s use it to kick the indifferent dolts. And help save lives in the future.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Hmm. This is a national icon who arrives each evening in our living rooms to sells us gold, insurance policies, noodles, cold creams, cars… it’s a very long list. If this report is accurate, then DD would surely have got the footage erased a long time ago, leaving no trace of any evidence. The bigger tragedy of the 1984 riots was that there was no private TV channel at the time. Many powerful people would have been nailed had that been the case.

     

    Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1984-riots-Why-nobody-noticed-Amitabh-Bachchan -spewing-venom-in-India/articleshow/10429011.cms?intenttarget=no

     

  • It's incorrect to ask creative folk to constitute the Creative Abby 'Superjury' to decide on plagiarism complaints, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney | Superjury: Keep the CDs out!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Ah, GoaFest has decided to constitute a ‘Superjury’ to tackle the issue of plagiarism in advertising. This is a good idea, there has to be a group of people tasked with nabbing ad thieves because copied ads bring a bad name to the entire Indian ad world. So that’s a good development.

     

    However, I have a problem with the people chosen to man the ‘Superjury’. These are chairpersons of the various creative juries, in other words, mainly the senior creative directors. This is crazy I say, because this means the same set of people will now police their own work. Incidentally, I have always had problems with agency creative people judging agency creative work, but one let that pass because of the creative directors’ famous line of argument: That only creative people appreciate creative work, that the nuances and the detailing will go over the heads of the ‘uncreative’ suits. I don’t necessarily agree with this, but most creative directors do, and so the same judging caravan has been chugging along, despite all the ugly controversies.

     

    Now, even if we assume they are right, what I don’t understand is why would the same creative directors also sit on a jury whose job is to catch ad chors? This is a policing job, it needs no creative bent of mind. You put two pieces of work in front of you and objectively judge if the twins are a result of an amazing co-incidence or a result of daylight robbery. You don’t need any creative skills for this. What you need instead is objectivity and neutrality. In fact, having creative directors function as policemen will immediately bring agendas into the picture. For example, many creative directors are buddies in the ad world, many have worked with each other in the past. This can and will invite personal bias, it’s inevitable. On the other hand, if I happen to detest my rival, here’s my chance to settle scores.

     

    My recommendation therefore is this: Form the ‘Superjury’ by all means, but it must consist of neutral umpires. Such as, retired ad agency leaders, trade press editors and clients. That would be fair and correct. The Supreme Court bench deciding on Sanjay Dutt’s act of crime can’t consist of Bollywood stars, right?

     

    PS: Oops! One senior Aussie journalist has been sacked because he dared to write against the policies of his own publisher, and specifically because he dissed the ‘advertorials’. Be careful, people! Turn a blind eye to paid news in your group publications, or risk being kicked out.

     

    Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-09/fairfax-journalist-sacked-over-critical-crikey-article/4617316

     

  • We are a nation of a million scamsters and cheaters, so there's no reason why the desi ad guys won't join in the party. This nation scores very poorly on ethics, and it's a reality we have to accept and live with

    Anil Thakraney: Why plagiarism is unstoppable

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The root cause of scam ads and idea thievery in advertising is the mad lust for awards. As long as national creative directors continue to reward/hire people based on their ability to bag these (meaningless) trophies, creative people will continue to fraud and cheat. So that’s a given.

     

    But the moot question is this: How come the frequency of creating scam ads and looting ideas is higher in India than in the western world? Surely agency heads in those nations too value personnel who win awards. I think part of the answer to that question lies in the great Indian culture. We are a nation of a million scamsters and cheaters (look around you, it’s happening everywhere), so there’s no reason why the desi ad guys won’t join in the party. This nation scores very poorly on ethics, and it’s a reality we have to quietly accept and live with.

     

    The other answer is creative sloth, and to an extent, lack of talent. Not getting hit by a bright idea? Why not quickly scan the Black Book to see if an ‘inspiration’ strikes. Or trawl the internet to suss out what the firangi creatives are up to. Easy, no? Who will notice the lift? Award juries can’t keep an eye on millions of ads being created around the world. Also, if I do get caught, I can always claim it’s ‘divine coincidence’. In any case, by the time the chori is discovered, I would have got that massive pay hike.

     

    I’ll give you another insight: Notice that most plagiarism and scams ads happen for the static media. Press ads, posters, hoardings, stickers, etc. It’s not often that we catch people lifting TV commercials. And that’s because of two reasons: Senior creative directors in India are entirely focused on the TVC, and pay very little attention to the other stuff, which is delegated down the line. With no one to keep an eye on them, some junior/middle level creatives resort to cheating. There’s another thing: Art directors/Visualisers in India (this is not the case in the west) usually get left out of TVC script writing and production. This is because many are considered to be ‘the down market, vernie, JJ school types’. Which means their only chance of recognition is an award for a press ad/poster. And this leads to the frantic Black Book/D&AD annual scan.

     

    So now you know why scams and copying of ads won’t stop anytime soon.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Excellent press ad by Colgate. Am getting to see a truly brilliant print effort after a long time. Are you experiencing that ‘Why didn’t I think of it’ moment? Tempted to copy? Go ahead, lift this idea for your brand. I won’t tell anyone. Promise!

    Click to large

     

  • Does the government value the life of a businessman more than that of the aam aurat? Had Ambani been given protection before December 16, 2012, there may have been less outrage

    Anil Thakraney: Ambani needs solid PR

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Mukeshbhai is the first Indian private citizen to be gifted with Z+ security cover. Naturally, this has got the entire media (including the social media) up in arms. Very quickly, in order to dilute the backlash, it was announced that the multi-billionaire will pick up the tab. Smart move that, it has temporarily silenced the cribbers. And the bill, which is likely to be about Rs 15 lakhs a month, is less than loose change for our tagda industrialist. This is the amount Nitaben might tip the Antilla staffers each month. So that’s the end of that, one would imagine.

     

    The unanswered question is this: Is it incorrect for an industrialist to demand security cover if his life has been threatened by hard-core terrorists? In Ambani’s case, a threat letter was delivered at his office, this has been confirmed by the police. Incidentally, I must say it appears odd that the Indian Mujahidin guys would send out an advance warning, that’s not been their modus operandi so far. Be that as it may, the deadly letter did arrive, and therefore the security cover. But why is everyone so upset? Is Ambani’s life less important than all those undeserving politicians who enjoy Z+ cover, and make us, the tax payers, pay for it? Obviously that’s not the case. The man’s a global business leader, his life is as important as any other powerful person. So then what gives?

     

    The problem, according to me, is two-fold. First, the bad, bad timing. The security cover has been granted just when women are on the streets in Delhi, crying out for protection from rapists and molesters. Now this sounds bloody unfair. Does the government value the life of a businessman more than that of the aam aurat? Had Ambani been given protection before December 16, 2012, there may have been less outrage.

     

    The other, bigger problem is Ambani’s shoddy public image. He’s not perceived to be a socially conscious industrialist… in fact, his popular image is that of a selfish, self serving, hard-edged dhandhewala. Although his wife hangs out with deprived kids at the IPL matches, that hasn’t changed the image. And that monstrosity called Antilla isn’t helping matters at all. A billion people from a third world nation can’t understand why a family of four needs 27 floors to live in. So it’s actually an image issue, and it’s strange that with all his astounding wealth Mukeshbhai hasn’t been able to hire kickass PR agents (not Ms Niira Radia, she’s an image breaker!), who can swing a little public goodwill into his assets column. I think more than Z+ commandos, our man needs A+ spin doctors.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Another superb ad by Stella Artois, fantastic lateral thinking. Goes swimmingly with the punch line: Reassuringly Expensive.

     

    Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDkJVIsDRaE

     

  • What I find appalling is that the Super Jury dudes have used a technicality to escape the plagiarism mess. The bigger message, of course, is this: Keep the photocopy machine buzzing

    Anil Thakraney: Kya Super Cool Jury hain hum!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hahaha. If I was Ms Shobha De, I would scream ‘I told you so!!!’. But unfortunately because I am not, I shall try to keep the gloating level down. Yes, I have to say it was always pretty obvious that the so-called ‘Super Jury’ members would never declare themselves guilty as charged, even if the crime committed is a daylight robbery, witnessed by thousands. Simply because people charged with misdeeds can’t be appointed as policemen, that’s nothing short of a joke. Here’s the link to my last week’s post, in case you missed it.

     

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2013/04/anil-thakraney-superjury-keep-the-cds-out/

    What I find appalling is that the Super Jury dudes have used a technicality to escape the plagiarism mess. Nope, they aren’t saying there was no chori involved with the ads whose awards were taken away, they are using timelines as the explanation for retaining the trophies. According to a report, this is the ‘ final verdict’: ‘During the meeting, the Super Jury believed that sufficient time was given during short listing of entries and the final judging for complaints and objections, and all of them were accepted and followed up prior to the announcement of the final awards list. It was also felt that the awards’ sanctity had to be maintained and deadlines strictly adhered to. Therefore any speculation after the Goafest/Abby Awards cannot be entertained. In light of the above decision by the Super Jury, it has hence been decided that all awards given will stand. In addition, awards that had been rescinded due to similar complaints for DHL (agency BBDO Proximity) and Electrolux (agency DDB Mudra Group) will be reinstated’.

     

    Well, darlings, the robbery usually gets noticed once the entry is in the limelight. How could many of us be in the loop on every single entry being sent by every single agency for awards? And so what if the theft is discovered after the so-called ‘deadline’? That doesn’t make the cheating any lesser. Notice the stunning parallel, this is exactly what politicians would say: You should have discovered that the winning candidate is a rapist BEFORE the elections; you had ample time do so. Now that you’ve elected him, we shall take no action, go to hell.

     

    The bigger message, of course, is this: Keep the photocopy machine buzzing.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Who says advertising for soaps has to be boring, straightforward and led by a thakela movie star? Dove shows the way to doing excellent work in this category. Using a combination of realism and powerful lateral thinking, they have created a heart-warming ad. An ad that would make every woman feel happy. And beautiful. Respect. That’s the only word I have for people who create such wonderful communications.

  • Jet must regain the full service segment, invest in food and service, and with no competition on the horizon, they will own it for a long time to come

    Anil Thakraney: Opportunity for Jet to raise the bar

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    If you are a shareholder with Jet Airways, you just made a neat profit. The airline’s share price has shot up by over 20 percent, following the equity participation with Etihad Airways. But this post isn’t about stock prices (which I don’t understand at all), it’s about domestic air travel, and that concerns every single one of us.

     

    Am sure Naresh Goyal has exciting international expansion plans in mind with the huge sums he’s pocketed  following the tieup (a jaw-dropping 2000 crore rupees). All that’s very fine. But Jet must use a part of the huge funding to make domestic air travel a better experience for Indian flyers (at a reasonable fare), and thereby dominate the one segment that’s been stagnating in recent times: Full service flights.

     

    With the demise of Kingfisher, low-cost carriers have been ruling the Indian skies. Even Jet, which was at one point a full service carrier, had to cut down on frills and promote JetLite and JetKonnect, both low cost options from the group. If you visit their portal and key in any flight schedule, you’ll notice that most options thrown up would be Jet’s budget flights. In short, majority of the market is now dominated by cheap flights, flights where you are forced to pay for a cold, yucky sandwich. And that welcoming cold towel is now a thing of the past.

     

    Jet must regain the full service segment, invest in food and service, and with no competition on the horizon, they will own it for a long time to come. They can once again bring back the fun into flying (rather than the ordeal it’s now become), and pamper their guests with some cool frills. This will generate tremendous brand loyalty in the business travelling segment. They must also examine the possibility of providing additional leg room in the ‘cattle class’, that will be a huge draw for cramped flyers. Even Mr Shashi Tharoor would be delighted.

     

    In short, here’s hoping that in his quest to make Jet more global, Naresh Goyal doesn’t overlook the opportunity that’s staring at him back home. He’s finally got the moolah to make things happen.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Yet another insensitive ad, this time Hyundai and its German ad agency are the culprits. The ad wants to communicate that the car doesn’t produce carbon monoxide fumes, it only jets out water emissions. And to demonstrate that, they have shown a man trying to commit suicide. Following outrage, the ad has been withdrawn and disowned by Hyundai. The only people who should kill themselves are creators of such utterly irresponsible trash.

     

  • I like his angst, his hard edged temperament. It is this hot attitude which will make him a superb leader in the coming years, even if it gets him into trouble now and then. So he must keep the fires burning

    Anil Thakraney: Kohli’s abuse = Good news for IPL

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Virat Kohli is an angry young man these days. He is furious with a section of the Wankhede crowd, because they booed him right through the IPL league match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. I will come to Kohli’s frustration presently, but let me start by saying that this incident should make the BCCI suits smile very widely.

     

    And that’s because, contrary to the views of many sceptics (myself included), it’s very clear that the IPL has managed to establish solid city-based loyalty. The Indian junta appears to have adopted the various teams as their own. Personally speaking, I still don’t feel any connect with the Mumbai Indians team (just as I feel no connect with Antilla), but I don’t matter out here. The hardcore IPL fans definitely do. It’s one thing to cheer for your team, it’s another to jeer for the rival team’s captain. The captain who happens to be a star player for India, the future of Indian cricket, but that didn’t seem to deter the crazed IPL fans. The mad passion for the Mumbai Indians team explains the insults heaped on Kohli. And this is superb news for the tournament organizers. No one doubted the popularity of the T20 format, what was always in question is the issue of team loyalty. Because many players from each team don’t belong to that particular city/region. One can safely say that has been achieved too. In short, the IPL can now officially be called a Super Duper Hit. Congratulations!

     

    As for young Kohli, I like his angst, his hard edged temperament. It is this hot attitude which will make him a superb leader in the coming years, even if it gets him into trouble now and then. So he must keep the fires burning. However, for the Wankhede incident, our man should have handled things a little more smartly. This is a trick the youngster needs to quickly learn, because there’s no glory in abusing cricket fans, however rowdy their behavior might be. Kohli should have blown air kisses in the direction of the jeering crowd. That would have immediately disarmed the louts, and would have made them run to a dark corner.

     

    Kohli ought to learn from his boss, Dr Mallya. Notice how the booze tycoon keeps beaming and shining at the stadia (when his team wins, that is) despite the Kingfisher Airline mess.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Have always loathed IDEA’s mind effing ‘Honey Bunny’ jingle. Well, this bunch of cool doods has composed a neat jingle of their own in honour of this rubbish. Now this I like, Sirji! Have fun.

     

     

     

  • The way the television media went over the top, for the Johnnie who came in lately, it would appear as if a top Indian minister had been hacked to death on a visit to Pakistan. This is not to say the man's life had no value, but by Sarabjit's own claim, he was no Indian spy or a state terrorist

    Anil Thakraney: Sarabjit saga: Disproportionate coverage

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Must say I am quite bewildered over the Sarabjit Singh media frenzy. The way the television media went over the top, for the Johnnie who came in lately, it would appear as if a top Indian minister had been hacked to death on a visit to Pakistan. This is not to say the man’s life had no value, but by Sarabjit’s own claim, he was no Indian spy or a state terrorist. Here was a small time farmer who got pissed drunk one fine day, and accidentally drifted into the enemy territory. Since then, Singh had been facing trial in that nation on charges of terrorism and espionage, and we really can’t blame the Pak courts for taking decades to arrive at a final verdict, our courts don’t do any better on that count.

     

    Ergo, all that media tamasha over an aam aadmi killed by inmates inside a foreign jail? Prison violence happens regularly all over the world, and if my knowledge serves me right, jails are places where criminals reside, not nice guys. Therefore some blood bath is always expected. Which is why all the television noise beats me. Some channels have been addressing Sarabjit Singh as a martyr. Wow! Do they have secret information that the man was an Indian agent? In which case they should make that public.

     

    Anyway, all the attention from the television media resulted in the expected. Bada netas made it a point to join the funeral procession (good chance for some quick OTS), our Pappu neta even offered the man’s sister a shoulder to weep on. Full state honours for a man who drifted into enemy territory drunk. And the way Singh’s sister used the incident to build her own fiery brand, I can see her being nominated as a red hot candidate in the next general elections.

     

    Once again, this is not to belittle the man’s life. It’s to highlight the lopsided media coverage. Which often happens because of the herd mentality amongst the desi news channels. If one channel starts shouting about a story, a hundred others dutifully raise their own decibel levels. And then it becomes a total free-for-all.

     

    ***

     

    PS: A Brisbane ad agency has created print ads supporting asylum seekers. This is to change the image of these new arrivals, which in Australia is pretty horrid (ask Indian students!). Good public service idea, and the ads do address the hard issues. And they have used real asylum seekers in the ads. All very well, but I have to say the guy featured in this particular ad looks a bit, er, dodgy. Perhaps they should have been more careful with the casting.

    Click to enlarge

     

  • If a channel can be dedicated to music, movies, food, animals, leisure, fashion, etc, why not scams? After all, cheating is an intrinsic part of the great Indian culture

    Anil Thakraney: Introducing! Ghotala TV!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have a deadly idea, and through this blog post, am attempting to reach out to venture capitalists or angel investors or whatever the moneybags are called these days. I want to launch a brand new news channel, but with a difference (hatke, as my Bollywood pals would boast). The channel, which I wish to call Ghotala 24X7 (Gee TV, for short), will be dedicated to scam related stories from India.

     

    With a scam happening every other day in this glorious nation, I really think the time has come for such a speciality channel. Here’s my content plan:

    Scam newsbreaks and heated TV debates thereof, every single evening.

     

    Reporters from across the nation getting members of the junta involved in the discussions.

     

    Special features which will dissect the anatomy of each scam, in order to make it easy to understand for the aam viewer.

     

    Regular sting operations on chronic fraudsters. And potential thieves (that’s most netas and babus, it’s a huge market).

     

    Special discussions with business leaders on each scam and its impact on the economy. (Their active involvement in the programming is anyway useful for ad revenue generation.)

     

    Noon TV debates will deal with broader issues like why India has become such a corrupt nation. These can be philosophical in nature, as the tired housewives are likely to watch at this hour.

     

    For the morning slot, which would cater to the senior citizens, religious leaders will be called to perform yagnas and conduct aartis to make this nation scam free. These sadhus will also enlighten us on whether people born in certain sun signs are likely to be more corrupt, etc.

     

    And the marketing staff will package each scam for sponsorship rights. For example: ‘This part of the Railway scam is brought to you by Rupa underwear: Yeh andar ki baat hai.’ And so on.

     

    Well, you get the picture. Call me if you wish to finance Ghotala TV. I am very serious about this project. If a channel can be dedicated to music, movies, food, animals, leisure, fashion, etc, why not scams? After all, cheating is an intrinsic part of the great Indian culture.

     

    PS: I would be glad to have you as the principal investor even if you have scammed the funds. That would be in the fitness of things.

     

    ***

     

    PS1: An anti domestic violence ad from Saudi Arabia, a nation not really known for respecting and honouring its women. Good to see such an effort from that country, and it’s a good ad too. The caption in the ad: Some things can’t be covered.

     

     

  • Prannoy Roy is unarguably India's best news channel personality, and one would like to see more of him

    Anil Thakraney: The Kar Natak elections

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I have absolutely no stake in the Karnataka assembly elections. Since I feel the same way about the Maharashtra elections, a state I belong to, you can well imagine my interest in what happens in the politics of other areas. That’s because nothing ever changes, one fraudster gets replaced by another. However, as things turned out, I was bedridden on Wednesday, and with nothing else happening, I spent all day with Arnab, Prannoy and Rajdeep. My temperature went up a few points, but that’s not the fault of these gentlemen, I do feel feverish each time I see Yeddy’s pretty face. Anyway, here’s my brief analysis of the election analysis.

     

    Prannoy Roy was his usual excited self, the man loves dissecting Indian elections. Serious, analytical, deep… all that we have come to expect from him. As I watched Roy in action, I realized his absence from regular news programmes is a huge loss. He is unarguably India’s best news channel personality, and one would like to see more of him. I still vividly recall how Roy gave the Chairman of Cadbury India a very hard time when worms were found slithering inside the chocs. (This was about ten years ago.) NDTV’s boss didn’t seem to care he was pissing off a huge advertiser. Hope to watch Roy anchor the 9pm news, at least few times a month.

     

    I don’t like it at all when Arnab stands up, it makes him look like a slimy government babu. He doesn’t possess a body that works in the erect pose. Arnab must always remain seated for best results, he looks far more authoritative that way. That apart, Times Now did the predictable number. Lots of shouting and heckling, and the busy screen bursting with all sorts of numbers.

     

    Rajdeep did the best job on this occasion. He was incisive and energetic. And missed no opportunity to bring in some humour to the proceedings. This is very important for viewers from the rest of India, people not really excited about the Karnataka politics. I must also add here that CNN IBN does the best job with info graphics. Clean, clear, uncluttered, simple layouts. The credit for this must go to Rajdeep. A techie pal, who once worked with the man (at NDTV), told me Rajdeep gets totally involved with the packaging. It shows.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. My photographer pals will love these posters. Satirical, these messages carry exactly what photographers have to say to us when we envy them for their ‘cool’, ‘easy’, ‘sexy’ job.

     

    Link: http://www.demilked.com/sarcastic-posters-for-photographers-shoppe-designs/

     

  • The HT story reports that because crime shows carefully deconstruct each incident (this is what makes these serials highly interesting), and present the minutest tricks used by cops in their pursuit of criminals, it's becoming difficult for the police to nab these guys

    Anil Thakraney: Are crime shows helping criminals?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Read a disturbing story in the Sunday HT on how crime shows on television are helping criminals escape the police. This, according to the report, is because these sods learn the tricks used by the cops, and then employ them for their own benefit. Naturally, this is alarming to hear, and given the way India operates, someone will file a bitter PIL, and these crime shows will come under serious pressure. Which will be a pity, because Crime Patrol on Sony is my favourite serial, and the team does a wonderful job. Other channels have launched clones, but they don’t pack in the same chutzpah.

     

    Anyway, let’s examine this issue carefully. There are two parts to this debate: One, do these crime shows inspire potential criminals to take up crime? That’s bullshit, so let’s kill it right away. There’s violence happening all around us. On the streets, in the house next door, in the movies, in the media reports, even in the parliament. It’s all pervading. So to blame TV shows for this is stupid. As a matter of fact, the moral lesson in each crime show episode is this: Crime doesn’t pay. In every single episode the criminal gets caught and is duly punished. In fact, crime shows almost always show the cops in a very good light, and we all know that’s not how it turns out in reality.

     

    The second issue: The HT story reports that because crime shows carefully deconstruct each incident (this is what makes these serials highly interesting), and present the minutest tricks used by cops in their pursuit of criminals, it’s becoming difficult for the police to nab these guys. Having picked up the modus operandi, these criminals are able to pre-empt police action. Now this is quite worrying. Because TV crime shows are based on real incidents (unlike most movies), they are sure to have a bigger impact on a criminal’s psyche.

     

    I have a suggestion to offer: At the risk of diluting the show’s engagement value, the producer should consider concealing the critical processes used by cops, especially those that involve technology. Perhaps the producer can indicate the particular process used, but avoid the detailing. I know this doesn’t sound very exciting, but it’s something that crime show creators need to ponder upon, and very quickly too. Before legal action or governmental interference leads to their closure. And no one wants that to happen!

     

    **

     

    PS: Absolutely fantastic media innovation. An anti abuse message that only a child can see, and it’s invisible to the adult accompanying him/her. Made possible by some super tech magic. Wonder why such outdoor innovations don’t happen in India, we are (allegedly) a nation teeming with tech wizards.

     

    Link: http://gizmodo.com/this-ad-has-a-secret-anti-abuse-message-that-only-kids-493108460?fb_action_ids=10151402018997544&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action _object_map=%7B%2210151402018997544%22%3A458284080919358%7D&action_type_map=%7B% 2210151402018997544%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

     

     

     

  • The Gujarati tourists are back, and so are the Bollywood filmmakers. However, we are very aware that all it shall take is another massive terror strike to move things back to square one, Kashmir is such a fragile state

    Anil Thakraney: Media should highlight Kashmiri achievers

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The last time I went to Kashmir was nine years ago. This was for the shoot of a Nestle Polo commercial (I was employed with Lowe, Delhi, at the time). One morning I woke up late for an early shoot, and missed the last Gondola cable car, which was to take me to the hills of Gulmarg, the shoot location. This compelled me to hitch a horse ride, and this one-hour-long journey gave me a chance to have a detailed conversation with the horse owner, Mohammed. On the state of things in Kashmir. What he told me was heart breaking. Let me skip the gory details and get to the main point he made: Most Kashmiris felt a terrible sense of detachment from India, there was absolutely no sense of belonging. This feeling got further reinforced in my conversations with the other locals.

     

    I believe things are far better now, the Gujarati tourists are back, and so are the Bollywood filmmakers. However, we are very aware that all it shall take is another massive terror strike to move things back to square one, Kashmir is such a fragile state. It’s been a long time now and the politicians have totally failed to deal with this mess. Which is why the role of the media becomes crucial. Two recent success stories from Kashmir caught my attention. One is about the Kashmiri cricketer who’s currently playing in the IPL: Parvez Rasool. And the other is about a lady doctor, Ruvaida Salam, from the strife-torn Kupwara district, who has managed to pass her IAS exams against all odds.

     

    These are fantastic stories, and I would urge the nation’s media (both, print and television) to not report them as regular snippets. The media should help turn these two (and others like them) into national celebrities. We must run a series of huge stories on their achievements so that Rasool and Salam become household names in India. This will inspire other Kashmiri youth to forget about militancy and Pakistan, and instead aim to become successful professionals. If this happens, over time, it will help demolish the one thing that keeps the Kashmiris from kicking out the militants from their soil: The sense of alienation.

     

    I do think these success stories are a superb opportunity for the media to directly affect the fortunes of this nation. And we must not allow them to slip by.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Evian has revived the dancing babies that were such a rage ten years ago. Simple, cute idea: Find a baby version of yourself in the mirror. Purity of water, purity of thought. Nice.