At The Edge

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]

Yasmin Daji Ad for Lure Beauty Mask. Early 1970s. Model: no clue but uber. -0- Update: Model is in fact famous Persis Khambatta [Thanks, Geetali ! You are awesome!]. I had a hunch but didn't pursue it because of previous 'no she is not' experience . It's incredible how her looks changed through the 60s - Miss India and 'Bombai Raat Ke Bahon Mein', 70s - the ads and then the 80s - the Star Trek head shave.  -0- Update: Thanks to an anonymous tip-off (check comments) we have another (more  probable) name - Yasmin Daji., who was crowned Miss India in 1966 by Persis Khambatta. Apparently this same image was used by Persis Khambatta in her coffee table book 'Pride of India' (1997). -0- Update: I checked that book and it is indeed Yasmin Daji. And this image is used in the book.

Vidya Sinha, the real poster girl for Saris in Hindi films from the 70s

For the anonymous who wanted the radio jingle from 70s that went ad nauseum: "Tinopal Tinopal, Ranipal Ranipal. Tinopal Tinopal, Ranipal Ranipal", I can't help. But I do have this print ad from 1978 showcasing the successful change-over from multinational brand name to Indian brand name.

When I stared posting these ads, it was just for fun. Then when I started getting serious requests, mostly from people writing various papers and doing whatnot on the subject, it became all the more fun. The following ad of HMT from year 1978 is for one such request from a reader. HMT 'Timekeepers to the Nation' ad 1970s. From Star & Style magazine. Isn't the watch supposed to be worn by her in such manner that the dial in on the inner wrist? -0- One of my aunts used to work in HMT factory at Srinagar. After 1990, given the situation in Kashmir, the factory closed down. Her family moved to Karnataka so that she could work at HMT factory at a place called Tumkur. Sometime years later when they returned to finally settle in Jammu, the family came back with a vocabulary that included words like ' Niroolilla' -0-

Interesting use of blaxploitation by "Institute of Human Dynamics". One half of Mr. Black Belt Jones is hand drawn and the other is actually from a poster. Poor Jim Kelly! A Gunda from Balandarpur. found in an issue of Filmfare dated1976

Wasn't he the perfect choice for a tonic ad. Vinkola-12 Ad from 1976 -0-

Probably from the 60s. Definitely early 70s. (Check Update) 'Some complexions just never grow up! Pears keeps your skin young, innocent. Pears...the original glycerine Soap. '  Agency: Lintas -0- Update: At the start of 2010 The Indian Express did a story on bloggers archiving vintage Indian ads and my blog was one of that blogs that got mentioned (bringing tears of joy to my eyes without application of glycerine) along with a picture of the ad that you see above. Now, from The Indian Express archives available thanks to Google I know the definitive date of that Ad and I give two more ads from the same 'Motherly' series that Pears still seems to follow. Some more from 1942 and 1943. Noticeable change of theme and proprietor. 1942 1942 1943 -0-

5 Star Energy Bar ad 1971. More than a decade later it was selling for a princely sum of Rs. 5.

Atlas Bicycles Vintage Bicycle Poster (1971)  Artist: Shree Des Raj Found it at the Vintage poster galley at sellwoodcycle.com Do check out their awesome galley having vintage posters of bicycle brands from around the world. The posters are from the book "100 Years of Bicycle Posters" by Jack Rennert (1973).

He put a cigarette in his mouth and, as a matter of silent routine, offered one to Gwyn, who said ‘No thanks.”Richard looked at him.”I packed it in.”"You what?”"I stopped. Three days ago. Cold. That’s it. You just make the life choice.” Richard looked up and inhaled needfully. He gazed at his cigarette. He didn’t really want to smoke it. He wanted to eat it. Almost the only thing that he still liked about Gwyn was that he still smoked…Paradoxically, he no longer wanted to give up smoking: what he wanted to do was take up smoking. Not so much to fill the little gaps between cigarettes with cigarettes (there wouldn’t be time, anyway) or to smoke two cigarettes at once. It was more that he felt the desire to smoke a cigarette even when he was smoking a cigarette. The need was and wasn’t being met… While it would always be true and fair to say that Richard felt like a cigarette, it would now be doubly true and fair to say it. He felt like a cigarette. And he felt like a cig...