Why is everyone talking about Calcutta Times' Durga Puja Campaign!

Calcutta Times Durga Puja Campaign titled #NoConditionsApply not only has a great script but is lauded by experts.

Calcutta Times, published by the Times of India Group in Kolkata has come up with a beautiful video titled Sindoor Khela for their campaign No Conditions Apply featuring popular faces from Bengal this Durga Puja.

From actress Rituparna Sengupta, Sohini Sengupta, and Gargee Roy Chowdhury to Manobi Bandhopadyay, who is a professor and first transgender person in India to have completed Doctor of Philosophy, the 2:46 minute long video manages to leave a strong impact in the minds of the viewers.

For those who are not aware, Shindoor Khela is a very popular tradition among Bengalis and is played on the final day of Durga Puja which is Vijay Dashami. It is the last ritual of the festival and is usually played by married women, who put sindoor or vermilion on Maa Durga's forehead and feet and thereafter, they apply it on other married women present around them.

Working on this insight, FCB Ulka in this campaign asks a very pertinent questions that when Ma Durga doesn't differentiate between her married and unmarried girls,  prostitute or an unmarried mother, divorcee or widow, who are we do raise eyebrows and have an objection to anyone playing shindoor khela?. The brand urges people to forget the differences and to be part of the movement by sending a double-dot selfie.

Concept

Commenting on the concept of the campaign, Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka said, “For more than 400 years shindoor khela has been a tradition that has united married women in song and praise of goddess Durga. But then the thought just hit me and that made me think, Does Ma Durga really separate her married daughters and her unmarried daughters? Does she really think one is more special than the other? This thus evoked the premise of the campaign, No Conditions Apply. It prods a reality check, it’s time, we changed.”

Social Chatter

The video has around 3.5 lakh views and around 7,000 shares on Facebook till now.  There have been several comments on the video as well. Most people have loved the thought and found it very relatable.

Expert take

We spoke to Joybrato Dutta, Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications and Subhadeep Dawn, Creative Group Head, Contract India to understand their views on the campaign.

Joybrato Dutta, Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications said, "It's brilliantly written. As a Bengali, it makes me wish I had written it. The concept of letting everyone play Sindoor Khela is quite thought provoking. And something modern day Bengalis will agree with. This campaign probably has the strongest message. It questions an evil that exists as a part of our tradition. It feels nice that someone has finally talked about this. "

Subhadeep Dawn, Creative Group Head, Contract India also feels the writing is fabulous, but wished it was something more than the double dot sindhoor selfie campaign. "The script is great, the acting, the execution is perfect, but I hope the campaign doesn't get diluted in this selfie thing," he concluded.