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Shekhar Kapur in Wills Ad



1979


Guy has a cigarette hanging from a corner of his mouth, preferably left. He still talking, almost enjoying the talk as just much as the smoke. His hands are busy working on something. There's a woman in the frame too, worshiping him. Her mouth agape in pretend awe. A classic smoking situation, for films and ads. Just the thing to get you started. The scene tells you it is a classic situation for life too.

The guy enacting the situation in this ad happens to be Shekhar Kapur. It is a funny thought there is now a generation in India that grew up without seeing ads for cigarettes in magazine, and certainly without seeing celebrity endorsement of cigarettes. The impact of government policies and directives in shaping public lives in never so obvious.

[P.S. Nice watch]
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Comments

  1. SoumyadipSep 21, 2011, 8:07:00 AM

    This seems to be an exception in the long running Wills Made for Each other series. All the other ads that I have seen doesn't show any of the models actually smoking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Vinayak RazdanSep 21, 2011, 10:07:00 AM

    I had that thought and I went through your collection to confirm it. I think it is true...those ads almost never show people smoking.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSep 21, 2011, 10:32:00 AM

    Frankly, I'd rather government shaped my life, rather than corporates send subliminal messages. Of course, the best would be if no one interfered (neither corporates nor the government).

    Why I'd rather the government shaped my life? I have a say in the workings of the governments, at least theoretically speaking. But I have no say in corporates working.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vinayak RazdanSep 21, 2011, 10:44:00 AM

    I don't what the scene was back then, but these days probably corporates have a greater say in government policies. Our lives are more often shaped by powers that we have little control over.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rohit MattooSep 21, 2011, 2:02:00 PM

    Interesting. But was Shekhar Kapoor a celebrity in 1979? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Vinayak RazdanSep 21, 2011, 2:23:00 PM

    Good point...I guess not. By 1979 he had worked in only four movies or so. He was just a guy working trying his luck as a hero and doing few odd ads.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sanghamitra SenSep 24, 2011, 9:59:00 PM

    Is that Shekhar Kapur? It doesnt look like! ... Then again, I am part of the generation that never saw him without a beard. Think he looks better with one.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Vinayak RazdanSep 24, 2011, 11:40:00 PM

    You should see him in some of his early movies...like Toote Khilone (1978)

    ReplyDelete
  9. MayaSep 29, 2011, 5:12:00 PM

    looks good

    ReplyDelete
  10. SumeetJun 5, 2012, 9:52:00 PM

    and who's that girl? None other than Ramesh Sippy's current wife, Kiran Joneja!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Vinayak RazdanJun 5, 2012, 11:08:00 PM

    @Sumeet,
    I see her now. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousNov 9, 2012, 2:28:00 AM

    Shekhar Kapoor looks so hot and handsome there.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Asli JugnuApr 9, 2013, 1:28:00 AM

    ...No, the lady in the picture with Shekhar is not Kiran juneja ( maybe from this side she looks close to her but its not her ) !!

    ReplyDelete

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