By Sharanya Gopinathan
Maybe we’re a little late to the party, but have you seen the new Vicks ad? It hits all the right spots, both aesthetically and in terms of social sensitivity. It’s based on a true story, of a girl whose biological mother died of HIV/AIDS when she was six years old, after which she was adopted by a trans woman. As Buzzfeed points out, the ad attemps to normalise trans motherhood, and does it really nicely.
It’s also a hugely refreshing change from the usual idiotic portrayal of transwomen in movies, and a departure from the cinematic tradition of men dressing up as women. While it does seem to be part of the trend of corporations capitalising on social issues, it avoids the classism and generally annoying feels of that famous Myntra ad from 2015 that featured two lesbians and went viral, which was also erroneously touted as India’s first ad featuring gay people. You can watch the new Vicks ad here.