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Showing posts from June, 2023

Explore the history and Politics of India through Amul ads

       Explore the history and Politics of India Amul: The Taste of India: 'Utterly butterly delicious' Yesterday, I read the news about the death of Sylvester daCunha, the man behind the iconic Amul Girl 'utterly butterly' campaign. The ad campaign was launched in 1966 after being designed by Sylvester daCunha, who was the then Managing Director of the advertising agency ASP, and its art director was Eustace Fernandes. The death news of Sylvester daCunha reminded me about an activity which I conducted with my students as a class project to explore the post-independence history of India by analysing ads as contemporary pieces of evidence. The Butter Girl, who made her debut in 1966, has had a large fan following for over 55 years, surpassing even the greatest stars of Indian media. In 1966, Amul decided to appoint Advertising and Sales Promotion (ASP) to work on their advertising campaign. Sylvester da Cunha, then the manager of the agency decided to create so

Uncovering the Truth: from Legends to History

  Uncovering the Truth: from Legends to History During field visits to historical places, it is a common experience to hear interesting stories about the events that took place there from the locals. Stories of Bhima building a tank overnight and the Pandavas constructing a temple in a single night are often shared. Although listening to such stories is enjoyable, it can be overwhelming at times. However, these stories often give rise to questions: Did these events truly happen? On one occasion, when I visited the Machnoor Kshetra near Solapur, I encountered a similar story.                    As the story goes, Aurangzeb, who had arrived to conquer the south, faced formidable resistance from the Marathas. Seeking protection from them, Aurangzeb settled near Brahmagiri village on the banks of the Bhima River in the year AD. The fort, constructed around 1695, served as a large camp for the Mughal army, where Aurangzeb administered justice.           There exists