He paid Rs 80,000 for 'Black'

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="36.5%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1023888.cms" alt="/photo/1023888.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">"If you have watched & ''liked'' Munnabhai MBBS, Main Hoon Na, Murder, Ab Tak Chappan, Girlfriend, Dhoom, Tere Naam, Kisna, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, Hulchul, Julie, Rog....Then please go & watch BLACK. And you’ll know the difference between a mediocre and a brilliant film."</span><br /><br />Those are the words that have many in Bollywood breathing fire. The words first appeared in a full-page advertisement in a popular tabloid on Tuesday (February 15). The person behind the ad is Mumbaikar Sunil Seth, owner of a small advertising firm, Sunny. <br /><br />Seth paid Rs 80,000 to publish the ad and says, "It was an impulsive decision. I was so moved by the movie that I decided I was going to bring out the ad." Isn''t it a rather unusual way of showing appreciation? "See, I am an advertising man, so whenever I am moved or have to convey something, I express myself through ads," says Seth. <br /><br />Well enough just that, Seth''s expression and appreciation also included trashing other films, some of which found critical as well as box office acceptance. Seth is quick to refute the ''trashing'' charge. <br /><br />"That was not what I wanted to do. The ad was to ask people to see <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Black</span>, and I mentioned the other movies just as a comparison. There were no hidden thinking or meaning in the ad. Some people misinterpreted it."<br /><br />The ''people who misinterpreted'' include <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Main Hoon Na </span>director Farah Khan, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Munnabhai </span>director Raju Hirani, Anurag Basu of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Murder </span>fame, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dhoom </span>director Sanjay Gadhvi and Mahesh Bhatt. The angriest is Bhatt who has alleged that the ad is Bhansali''s doing and "is a desperate attempt by a man to prove to himself and the world that he is the best".<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic=""><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script></span></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="36.5%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1023878.cms" alt="/photo/1023878.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">Obviously the disclaimer carried with the ad, "The ad is not paid for by producers of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Black</span>", has few takers. But Seth insists the ad is in good faith. He points to the other such emotionally-motivated ads he has taken out in the past. <br /><br />"I don''t remember all the ads, but there was one that I ''took out'' when JRD Tata expired, asking for the Mumbai airport to be named after the great man. Then there was an ad asking people not to put their money with Harshad Mehta and coincidentally a week later, the scam story was broken. I do it only when something really moves me," emphasises Seth. <br /><br />Is it that other movies did not move him as much? "That is what I''m saying. I have seen <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Munnabhai</span>, it is a good movie, but what makes me angry is that <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Munnabhai </span>has become the standard for our movies. All I am saying is that <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Black </span>raises the standard for Hindi cinema, and people should realise there are miles to go and should not award mediocre attempt."<br /><br />So what next, an anti-award ad perhaps? Despite the Rs 80,000 he has just dished out, Seth laughs away the idea, "I am not a rich man, I do this only once in a while. Anyway, I have achieved my purpose. I wanted to push people to see <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Black </span>and I wanted to tell them that they should not settle for average movies. That is why I used names like <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Munnabhai</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Main Hoon Na</span>. I could have easily mentioned only the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Murders </span>and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Julies</span>, but these movies were to tell people that apart from <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Black</span>, other movies are timepass." <br /><br />As reactions continue on the ad, we''re wondering, anyone interested in advertising for <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Munnabhai</span>?</div> </div>