SBI's 'Dumdaar Dus’ advertisement accused online of stereotyping South Indians

Ad films are the most creative way to reach out to the customers, and therefore, companies irrespective of their domains, ponder a great deal on the idea. While some ideas receive a positive reaction, others receive a backlash for getting it wrong. One of the reasons behind this can be a stereotypical depiction of a particular community- as appears to have happened in the case of State Bank of India's 3-day festival offer ‘Dumdaar Dus’ cashback ad-film. 

In SBI's latest ad, Javed Jaffrey features as a Tabla instructor surrounded by his group of students. However, what appears to be an attempt to portray him as a person hailing from South India goes wrong as ignorant stereotypes are all that come across.

SBI ad face heat of netizens for stereotyping South Indians  

Scientist and author Anand Ranganathan took to Twitter to slam the ad and said, “A curly-haired, buck-toothed, vibhuthi sporting muppet with a clownish accent – just how long will you carry on stereotyping us South Indians through such buffoonery. Mehmood began the damn trend with Padosan. It continues 50 years on”.

Anand Ranganathan's post received a lot of comments- mostly from those agreeing that the ad was nothing but a stereotypical projection of South Indians. A user wrote, "As if all southern states people look like Tamilians How long/how many years more V Kannadigaa, Andhra, Telangana people also to be known as MADRASI?? V Kannadigaa, Andhra, Telangana people are not Dravidian and Certainly, V R, not Tamilians Don't tag us Tamilian/Dravidian Flock." Another wrote, "Oly Kannadigas Telugus and Malayalis r Dravidians in TN. Ethnic Tamils don’t need Dravidian identity".