On 21 October, Netflix India released a Diwali ad titled Cherrapunji Ki Diwali. Spanning 2 minutes and 50 seconds, the ad begins with an elderly North-Eastern man narrating (in fluent Hindi, by the way) about how it endlessly rains in Cherrapunji, a town in Meghalaya. The ad goes on to depict myriad ways in which the residents' Diwali celebrations are dampened by the rain - from washed out rangolis to children unable to burst crackers. However, the ad highlights how no matter how big an impediment, the town's weather cannot stop people from finding unique ways to celebrate the festival of lights.
You can watch the ad here:
Now, for people far removed from the town or their culture, the ad might be heartwarming or even tear-jerking. But North-Eastern people - the very community the ad attempts to spotlight - are rightfully vexed for the sheer lack of research or nuance.
Firstly, several people from the Khasi-dominated area have pointed out that Sohra (which is the official name of the town, not Cherrapunji) majorly inhabits Christians. Diwali celebrations are hardly prevalent there. Moreover, in spite of the weather being quite an impediment to the town's residents, the autumn and winter seasons are mostly dry - to the extent that the town often faces water shortage during this time of the year. Furthermore, Netflix even managed to mistranslate the Khasi song featured in the advertisement!
North-Eastern netizens took to social media to call out Netflix on the grounds of misrepresentation. People are upset that the company decided to center the story of a North-Eastern town but in a way that's palatable to the Hindu, Diwali-celebrating majority.
Here are some more social media reactions:
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)