Desi Manifesto Blog: The Forum for South Asian American Men

[Blogger: S.I. or possibly posted by Nirodh] Among India’s litany of problems, lack of education is arguably the cornerstone. With education, solutions to most of the other issues could present themselves.

That’s why it’s good to see a public service announcement like this. Give yourself a good seven minutes. They may be among the best-spent time of your life:

The description, as posted on YouTube:”This is an entertaining
and educational video in Telugu on Condom usage, to prevent
from sexually transmitted infections and HIV, from Nrityanjali
Academy, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.”

Mystified, spellbound, entranced? I could not look away the first, second, or third time I viewed this masterful PSA (public service announcement).

Thus, the only way to address this was through a running commentary:

[0:05] “Protective Cover.” This could be the intro for any number of PSAs.

[0:08] The costumes reveal that this could not be the intro for any other PSA but this one.

[0:15] By the way, the costumes are key. There’s something vaguely familiar about them. Other than the fact that they are condoms…

[0:20] These guys have managed to incorporate the slide whistle both musically and “thematically.” Slide whistle? Anyone? Anybody? Nirodh? Anyway, A.R. Rehman should be seething.

[0:25] This logo of Nirodh would do well on T-shirts. Smiling fellow, lots of hearts over his head, blushing. He’s just a fun guy madly in love. Throw a couple freckles on him and a weird tic-tac-toe pattern in his hair, and you have sort of a latex Archie.
[0:35] Sadly, the fragrances of my brothers abroad will be more than enough to squelch any perfumes emanating from the condoms.

[0:50] There’s no word for “lubricant’ in Telugu.

[1:07] Telu-tubbies! That’s what they look like!

[1:20] Admittedly, the various dances confuse me, in that they’re not very reminiscent of sex. Regular Bollywood is more suggestive, at least in my Western-warped perceptions.

[1:30] Damn, I didn’t know condoms in India had such softcore pictures on them. Sadly, I’ve never gotten even close enough to action abroad to necessitate a purchase.

[1:40] They look suicidal on the ledge. Hey, fighting HIV all day and not being able to save everyone must take its toll.

[1:50] I wonder if “Mythri Centre” was a sponsor or something. They’ve got that aspect of filmmaking down. “Nirodh” is printed on the condom wrapper too, as they showed earlier. Probably a brand name. But that’s okay, he’s our friend now, so we can’t call him a sellout.

[2:05] Okay what is this one picture of a woman anyway? It’s hideous. That picture alone will lower STIs by encouraging chastity.

[2:10] I wonder who these struggling actors are. Maybe this is their way into the business. Or, maybe this is a paycheck job and they insisted on painting their faces so as not to be recognized.

[2:17] I pledge allegiance to the flag effect they used.

[2:20] Come on people, even in PSAs, you have to make everyone all light skinned? This is in Andhra. They be darkies down there. Can we keep it real just once?

[2:25] Conspicuous image of two men facing each other. Maybe they will keep it real after all…

[2:40] Notice there are now two Nirodh logos. No more playing around.

[2:45] As long as the unwanted childbirth isn’t restricted to female fetuses. That gender selection shit is another mess India needs to fix.

[2:50] “I save you and increase your longevity.” That’s probably the best selling point they’ve made to horny teenage village men.

[3:20] That picture is disgusting.

[3:25] Speaking of “rash,” what the hell is up with this dude? Is that what happens to you if you don’t use Nirodh? He must be studded for her pleasure. Probably one of the only things in India meant to hook up the femmes. By the way, the guy with his arm around his friend is not gay, it’s a normal thing in India. For those who were getting a little too into things.

[4:05] I am now addicted to the slide whistle. I kind of wish they had named it, too.

[4:10] Who are these random dancing men in white? In the context of this video, they make less sense than the condom guys. And their dances aren’t nearly as tight as the Telu-tubbies do it. Do they represent sperm, perhaps? Wow, the symbolism (or should I say syllogism? No, I probably should not).

[4:20] As you’ve by now seen through this whole video, clearly the people in the background have no idea what’s going on, but are enjoying it regardless. People in India stare like crazy, even when there’s nothing at which to stare. So when an event like dancing condoms is happening, they will give new meaning to rubbernecking. These guys on scooters barely scratch the surface. As for whether the men standing with Nirodh are in on the joke or simply think it’s the closest they will get to Bollywood, that I cannot say. But an educational time was had by all.

[4:30] Date of manufacture. That’s a valuable tip.

[4:40] The wooden penis, south Indian coloring. At least they didn’t go all ‘fair and lovely’ on this thing.

[5:00] More sexual suggestiveness with the slide whistle: the sperm men in the background penetrate pop up in rhythm with the sound. I knew it.

[5:25] The female condom! Admitting women exist and have a choice. Though it’s still their fault if they don’t give birth to boys, of course. Everyone knows that.

[5:45] Holy shit. I have to pause it. They actually kept it real. Real real. Good for them. Also, I bet if they showed the gay dudes’ faces, they’d both have moustaches.

[6:30] Still no word for “lubricant.”

[6:40] Credits? Really?? I think we need to call up some of these guys immediately for a wedding. Any wedding. Please. And they must be required to bring slide whistles.

[6:58] Far and away better than most Bollywood movies I’ve seen, and much more realistic about sex.

In all seriousness, this is a very important video. This PSA tackles multiple issues that simmer below India’s surface. While I assume this was aimed at villagers/rural townsfolk in Andhra Pradesh, cityfolk ignore much of the sage advice. This PSA purposely puts an entertaining and light hearted veneer on sensitive and often taboo topics. If being comical about it gets people to talk, it’s far better than the current state of affairs in India, where no one talks about these things at all:

* AIDS/HIV in India: While NACO supposedly overestimated its proportions, India remains among the world’s leaders in cases of HIV, according to the UN and Indian government, with roughly 3 million cases. But people can’t fight what they don’t know. Education is the best way to induce change, and this video, albeit in its own fashion, does that. It probably would have been more effective to show what HIV/AIDS does to a person’s body, as well as the ill effects of other STIs. Essentially, sex ed. But in a country as hush-hush about sex as India, this is a start. If the funding from donors and government programs isn’t embezzled in its entirety, I hope what’s left is used for programs that delve deeper.

* Condoms: It’s an easy answer for us. But for people who receive little education about sex and STDs, Nirodh seems scary and foreign. This video dispels fear, demonstrates how rubbers should be worn, explains their function, and informs the viewer about condom availability. If you live in a culture where sex talk is taboo, are you going to ask someone about where to buy condoms?

* Unwanted pregnancy: Another tremendous problem in India is overpopulation, or its sordid solution, the termination of female babies. What a disaster. This will at least help with the overpopulation problem. Then again, if people aren’t educated enough, they probably will want to have children (or at least, they won’t NOT want to have them), and lots of them, early. Everywhere in the world, the more education people attain, the fewer kids they have and the later in life they have them. The correlation is especially true with women. Of course, there are many factors that play into this, but education is at the root. I was also impressed that the video gave women an option to protect themselves with the female condom. Another step in the right direction. Wish I could locate some concrete evidence for this education and population rant other than wikipedia.

* Yes, some Indians are also gay: When I saw the diagram and explicit advice that gay people also need Nirodh, I knew this video was a winner. Comprehensive and without judgment, it only sought to advise the population, regardless of which direction people swing. A country that can admit its own realities is one that can take the next step of fixing its problems (by which I mean HIV, STIs, and unwanted pregnancies, not homosexuality).

All in all, I am extremely impressed by “Protective Cover,” and it gives me hope that India may be moving in the right direction. Eventually.