Athiti Dhevo Bhava

The ad for "Incredible India" pops up in pan-Asia/International channels like BBC, Travel & Living etc. many a times during the day. And, it first evoked some very positive emotions with some images of the "melting pot of culture and civilisation", yes I am referring to our motherland! Well clad women dance to the tunes of a fusion music, some performing Kathak, Manipuri, Bharathanatyam and the ad ends with a vocal artist singing "Athithi Dhevo Bhava" and an yogi performing a complex yogic art in screen.


Yes, We again get our priorities wrong! We showcase multitude of our cultures on screen, juxtaposed with a well-composed song, and a foreign tourist who see this ad goes overwhelmingly gaga over India and books his/her tickets, and finally lands up in a mess called Delhi or Mumbai Airport! Not to mention the harassment they would have to face at various tourist places. Digression.... Duh, Duh!

The same channels also show ads of HongKong Tourism, Singapore Tourism, Qatar Airways, Dubai International Financial centre and I am seriously awed at the way those ads are streamlined! There is clear focus (Qatar focuses on its five star service, while HongKong showcases some of its very famous tourist places with flamboyant graphics..) while we Indians show our multitude of cultures and forget to pass on the real message "We welcome you and please see these places". There is no clear message as to what you could see when you come over (I wouldn't just come in to see well-clad women dancing for a few hours.. I need more!!). HongKong ad scores millions better than an Incredible India!
Not that Indian ads suck. We have seen wonderful ads being made here. AirTel's ads, Hutch ads, Cadbury's are amazing! Again, the authorities get the priorities wrong! They belive in handing over projects to bidders who cost the exchequer minimum, but they forget that lesser the cost, lower the quality. My solution - Pool in the fund to a separate autonomous body which should take care of such promotional activities in a professional manner.
And, TN politics suck big time! There is clearly a war between DMK and AIADMK and both are trying to woo other regional parties into their alliance. MDMK, which was all along staunchly against AIADMK has now planned to join AIADMK!!! It happens only in TN in particular, and India in general!!!!!