Opinion Zomato’s ‘Kachra’ ad: The caste-blind social illiteracy of corporate India
Technocratic, market-oriented education with a narrow focus results in people having little understanding of any kind of broad socio-cultural issue. What else can explain the completely insensitive hashtag “#kachrabhikhelega” (waste/trash will also play)? Does the Zomato team behind this spot believe that this is inclusivity?
The ad uses the character, Kachra, and references from the hugely popular and iconic Bollywood film, Lagaan (2001). (Twitter/@ghaywan)
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The food delivery service Zomato released its latest promotional advertisement “Kachra can change the game”(Kachra in Hindi means waste/rubbish/trash). It is an attempt to showcase the work done by the company to mitigate climate change by recycling rubbish. The ad, however, is far more problematic than the usual ones made by corporations trying to greenwash their products. So much so that Zomato appears to have taken it down from social media platforms after a backlash.
The ad uses the character, Kachra, and references the hugely popular and iconic Bollywood film, Lagaan (2001). The film, set in 1893, during the British Raj, follows the inhabitants of a village in central India, who, burdened by high taxes and several years of drought, are challenged to play a cricket match by an arrogant British Indian Army officer as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe. The villagers face the arduous task of learning a game that is alien to them. The film was a resounding success when it was released. It played on the nationalistic sentiments of overcoming adversity. Underdog Indians won against impossible odds. Kachra in the film is depicted as having a disability, his right wrist and arm are withered from polio and he has an odd gait. He is also an “untouchable”, a Dalit. Though initially rejected and shunned by his fellow village/teammates due to his caste, Kachra is eventually accepted and saves the day with his spin bowling — he gets a hat-trick.
The word “kachra” is a homonym and is used commonly (as also in the film) as a casteist slur. The Zomato spot goes one further. Not only does it use the actual actor, Aditya Lakhia, and character Kachra from the film, but Kachra is completely objectified: Lakhia is depicted as actually being recycled kachra — as a table, lampstand, a towel (to blow your nose in to), a flower pot, a watering can (with Lakhia spitting into a plant), etc.
What worked in Lagaan, the idea of adversity being overcome — is not reflected in the ad. Quite the opposite. It seems as if the boardroom honchos and ad agency dudebros did not get the memo: Using a character who is a Dalit and showing him to be made from actual waste is extremely problematic and insensitive. To depict a person as being recycled trash “rescued” from the dung heap to be used as utility “objects” dehumanises him. It shows how corporate boardrooms and ad agencies have no diversity in their staff and are clearly completely dominated by upper castes who have little or no understanding of how to perceive and depict those who are from marginalised and socially-ostracised groups.
India Inc prides itself on being “caste blind” and believes in “merit” above all else. Clearly, the time has come for it to start reviewing their attitudes. A way forward would be to first put in place inclusive hiring practices that will ensure diversity in corporate staff, and also try to educate themselves on caste and caste-based discrimination. Unless they do so, the likes of Zomato will embarrass themselves again.
In addition, the people who made and vetted this spot presumably belong to a group who have at least an undergraduate degree. This begs the question: What kind of education and what were their degrees? A technocratic, market-oriented education with a narrow focus results in people having little understanding of any kind of broad socio-cultural issue. What else can explain the completely insensitive hashtag “#kachrabhikhelega” (waste/trash will also play)? Does the Zomato team behind this spot believe that this is inclusivity?
The ad ends with the line, “The last time Kachra played India won; This time the earth will win”. In my view, the last time fictional Kachra played cricket we may have won, but this time, clearly, Zomato has lost!
The writer is a development professional and writer
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