Seen+Noted: A day in the life of Chennai

This is a JWT Mumbai commercial that Campaign Brief Asia first saw at AdFest. It was the Lotus Roots winner in both the Film and Film Craft categories. It made us laugh.

‘Naaka Mukka – A Day in the Life of Chennai’ presents a short satire on the life of a giant cardboard cutout character, through the course of one day in the life of Chennai. A roller coaster of a journey through the ups and downs of cinema and politics, the two sides of almost every actor in the Cinema Cutout Capital of the world – Madras/Chennai.

The client is The Times of India. View the commercial.

A Lotus Roots winners at AdFest means that the ad has been singled out for their ability to use local culture, customs and traditions in fresh and inspiring ways to build stronger connections to their target market. Lotus Roots celebrates the diversity of cultures throughout the Asia Pacific, and is a response to the homogenization of ideas that can result from a globalized world.

Background note: There are at least 100 cinema actors who have turned politicians and switch political parties on a daily basis in Chennai. In fact, the leader of almost every Political party in Chennai, mushrooming at the rate of one new party per week here is run / owned by a cinema star. Politics are always on the Front Page and Cinema always on the last page, of every local newspaper, in Chennai.

The Meaning of Naaka Mukka.

Naaka = Tongue in Tamil [ Read as Taste / Lingo }

Mukka = Nose in Tamil [ Read as Smell / Ambience }

Naaka Mukka: a local expression for tongue [ Naaka ] and nose [ Mukka ] that captures the taste and smell of Chennai from tongue to nose or vice versa ! an expression that has become mainstream now, since The Times Of India TVC was aired. Some Koothu { Folk } dancers in Tamil Nadu however say that this “Naaku Mukka” is an expression for letting your hair down and dancing like its your last dance, demonstrated by stretching the naaku [ tongue ] so far that it touches the tip of your mukka [ nose ].

Credits:

Agency: JWT India

Executive Creative Director: Senthil Kumar

Copywriter: Senthil Kumar

Art Director: Karthik Sekhar

Director: Shashank Chaturvedi

DOP: Jason West

Music: Vijay Anthony and Folk Artiste- Madurai Chinnaponnu

Lyrics: Senthil Kumar, Na Muthukumar, Robert TN

Agency Producer: Mark Manuel

Prod. House: Good Morning Films