Caught in the act-of being himself?

Time of India

24-07-2025

There are some ads you remember for the punchline.
And then there are ads you remember for the
pause before
the punchline.
The new
Vinsméra Jewels
film starring
Mohanlal
is one such ad. An exquisite departure from commercial conventions, and a masterclass in storytelling that needs no voiceover, no tagline, and certainly no gendered drama.
This is not just a
jewellery ad
. It's a moment.
There is no grand narrative. No words. Just Mohanlal.
A Moment, or a Message
The film opens with Mohanlal stepping out of his car and walking into what seems to be a jewellery shoot. 'We've shot this in fashion photography style,' says
Prakash Varma
. We are introduced to the model, bedecked in a diamond set. Mohanlal glances, intrigued.
But the next shot is unexpected, and unapologetic. The jewellery has vanished. A hush falls over the crew as they scramble to find it.
Cut to Mohanlal, alone in his vanity van, wearing the missing set- necklace, bracelet and the ring. He's entranced. He lifts and drapes the pieces on himself, admiring the shimmer in gentle silence. He begins to move- slow, deliberate, reverent. Traditional music creeps in.
Without warning, Varma opens the door. The room brightens with Mohanlal's laughter, warm, unrehearsed, delightful. No guilt. No explanation. Just the joy of discovery.
Traditional jewellery ads often align with ritual- weddings, lineage, family, gendered expectations. Women are the heroes; men are patrons. Background music swells. Taglines cement the emotional ballast.
This ad does not conform to any of those. There's no bridal drama, no gifting angle, no conventional crescendo. Instead, it offers something rarer, a private moment of indulgence, with a man rediscovering beauty for himself.
When Mohanlal places the necklace around his neck, it's not theft. It's reclamation. It's permission. It's a quiet rebellion.
Call it a psychological reset. The ad is in no way demanding approval. It's practicing acceptance.
What We See When No One's Watching
In psychology, there's a concept called the 'true self,' the version of us that exists beyond social scripts. Most
advertising
relies on the opposite: the 'ideal self,' which is aspirational, curated, and deeply rooted in societal validation.
But this ad chooses the former.
It lets Mohanlal, one of Indian cinema's most masculine icons, experience something typically coded as feminine. It does not ridicule. It does not justify. It simply reveals.
It reminds us of the childlike wonder we carry, before gender roles script our likes and dislikes. Before blue is for boys and pink is for girls. Before beauty becomes a performance instead of a pursuit.
What Mohanlal does in this ad is what many of us do when we are alone in front of a mirror, we try on things not meant for us, just to see. Just to feel.
And when caught, instead of shame, he laughs. A full-bodied, authentic laugh. As if saying, what's the harm in joy?
The Ad that Stole Nothing and Gave Back Everything
There's an elegance to what's left unsaid.
In not explaining why Mohanlal tried on the jewellery, the ad refuses to moralize or box the moment into activism or agenda. It neither deconstructs gender nor does it sermonize fluidity. Instead, it leaves the viewer with a feeling, of lightness, of acceptance, of curiosity.
This is rare in Indian advertising, where sentiment often leans heavily on either tradition or tokenism. Jewellery ads in particular tend to fall into predictable tropes- the bride, the heirloom, the proud father, the romantic proposal. These images, though culturally rich, become repetitive and restrictive over time.
But here, the only tradition is transcendence. The only emotion is delight.
It's easy to say that this is an ad about men wearing jewellery. But that would be oversimplifying it. This is an ad about removing labels. About the right to admire. The right to desire. The right to indulge.
Jewellery, after all, is not about gender. It's about the senses. The way a necklace feels against the skin. The way light dances on cut glass. The quiet power of adornment. Why should this belong to only one half of the population?
Reimagining Masculinity
Interestingly, in literature and myth, men have always worn jewellery- kings, warriors, gods. From Krishna's peacock feather to Mughal emperors' rings, ornamentation was not gendered, it was revered. It is only in modern industrial cultures that men's accessories shrank to a watch and a wedding band.
This ad quietly repossesses that lineage. It allows a man to admire, without needing to provide. To wear, without needing to own. To enjoy, without needing to explain.
That's a big leap. Not for the world. But for the self.
In many ways, this ad is not about breaking boundaries. It's about dissolving them.
In a world obsessed with storytelling, sometimes the best stories are the ones we do not tell it. It just shows. And smiles. And is remembered.
Like Mohanlal's final laugh. Unburdened. Unexpected. Unforgettable.
The Psychology of Permission
What this ad gives us is permission. That too through silence. It is what psychologists call a "liminal space"- the in-between moment where transformation is possible. Mohanlal, in his private joy, makes us rethink our conditioning, must beauty be gendered? Must adornment follow norms? Must indulgence be earned?
In many ways, this is an ad that says-
feel first, think later
. And for that reason, it achieves what marketing often chases but rarely lands, it creates affect before argument. In other words, you do not need to believe in the message to feel its warmth.
Culture Crafting, or Consumer Targeting:
In breaking this boundary, the brand has more than selling its product, it has sold an idea. That beauty is not about fitting in, but about owning what moves you.
This is not niche. This is not 'woke advertising'. This is timeless. It connects with everyone who has, at some point, stopped in front of a mirror, held something beautiful against their skin, and whispered to themselves, 'Why not?'
A Note to Marketers
It's time to drop the script.
Consumers today are more than data points. They are searching for meaning, softness, freedom. Ads that dictate rarely connect. Ads that allow space, for ambiguity, for pause, for feeling, tend to linger.
This film by Prakash Varma does not shout. It does not chase virality. But it will be remembered. Because it gave people permission to feel something they did not know existed, and needed.
And that is the true shimmer of a great brand moment.
So next time you see someone admiring something they are 'not supposed to,' do not interrupt.
Let them have their Mohanlal moment.