Finally, in the open

Shamiana is getting naughtier. The short film club is set to travel with an interesting project across the country — 100 commercials, mainly from television, that have been banned in certain countries for their explicit content or over-zealous expression.

Theatre person Cyrus Dastur who runs the short film club explains, “These are a host of funny and extremely creative commercials that have gone a little overboard. They are extremely imaginative in content but did not suit certain cultures and societies and hence were banned.”

Collected from various countries like US and Brazil, and also from YouTube, Shamiana wants to challenge the creative boundaries of viewers. Cyrus points out, “We don’t want to offend anyone. Though they are banned, we must accept that they are extremely creative, but have gone wrong when they diverted off the politically correct track.”

Cyrus does not think that showing these ads in India will put him into any trouble. “My boys, who are part of Shamiana from all across the world, have collected these ads. And the ad-makers will be only too happy that their works will be shown outside their own countries.”

What sort of ads are being featured? There’s one showing a nude Alicia Silverstone campaigning for PETA (banned in several states of America) and another is a saucy picture of Eva Mendes in a Calvin Klein ad.

However, one ad that the film club thinks might raise eyebrows was made on the eve of a soccer tournament in Europe. It shows a guy watching a soccer match on TV while four skimpily dressed women are trying to seduce him. Much to everyone’s amusement, the guy manages to stave off the women until he’s watched the whole match.

“These ads are not evil. And often the audience loves something that is tagged ‘forbidden’. It is difficult to have every ad universally accepted. Many states in US have even banned a variety of ads made by AXE perfumes terming them ‘whacky’ and ‘erotic’. But, nonetheless, they challenge boundaries.”

Expensive!
Shamiana will also be screening some of the world’s most expensive ad, the main feature being an advertisement done for Honda Automobile, completed at the estimated cost of six million dollars.

The ad features individual machines that constitute a car working in a coordinated manner to converge together to complete the automobile unit. Interestingly, the ad took 606 takes before the ad-makers could finalise on the perfect one.