Ad nostalgia

For a “series of tubes“, the internet is a freaking awesome invention. I mean, apart from all the utilities it provides, every once in a while it throws up something that takes you back a few years and refreshes some warm old memories. For instance, I recently came across a few episodes of this TV series called “Now and Again” on openflv.com. Back when AXN was filled with B-grade fare like VIP and Silk Stalkings, this was one of the few shows that I used to enjoy. It starred a pre-24 Dennis Haysbert and managed to successfully pull off an odd mix of science fiction and dramedy. And for a show that was cancelled after only one season, it still has a strong internet fan base. Watching it again reminded me of the good old days, when life was still not ruined by JEE preparations.

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Whenever I go home, I never pass up on a chance to watch one of the latest movies at a theatre. Mostly because of 2 reasons – 1) Tickets are damn cheap. For anyone who has had to shell out more than 150-200 Rs for tickets at the multiplexes, the Rs 35 tickets back home is peanuts. And even if the movie is bad, the money can be considered as a worthwhile donation to the ailing Malayalam film industry. 2) It’s more about the experience. And a big part of that is the ads screened before the movie starts. The right ads are enough for you to keep coming back, even if Mohanlal insists on acting in the most horrendous movies.

Now, these are not just any ads. They are made especially to be shown in movie theatres and are mostly for jeweleries and wedding sarees. For some reason, these two are very huge advertisers in Kerala. You can’t watch any Mallu channel without escaping their ads. And for most parts, they get it right with rare exceptions like Atlas Jewelers. But the theatrical ads are even more spectacular, often featuring elaborate song and dance routines. For me watching these ads has become an integral part of the movie going experience. Which is why I was very pissed off on my recent visit to find that most of the jeweleries had dropped their tried and tested ads for newer, supposedly hipper ads.

I really don’t understand why they had to change a good thing. And I’m sure that there are many others like me who will miss the old ads. Luckily for us, most of these are already on YouTube. Here are some of my favourites.

• Bhima (Pennaayal Ponnu Venam) – They have had this song for as long as I can remember.
  
• Jos Alukkas (Penne Ninne Sundari Aakiyatharu) – This one’s even more special because we had a parody version of this song dedicated to a classmate and the entire class would break into impromptu renditions of it, just to get on his nerves.
  
• Jayalakshmi (Madhuraswapnangal) – Love this song.
  
• Joy Alukkas (Chila Neram) – Brilliant song, beautifully picturised on Chitrangadha Singh. I am running out of adjectives. Sadly could not find this online.
• Kalyan Silks (Thai ad)