Pradeep Sarkar receives flak for Sachin Ad

Even if there are reports of an informal request being made to the BCCI by some cricketers who feature in an ad to ensure that certain portions of the commercial be modified, maker Pradeep Sarkar is happy with the feedback the spot has earned him. This ad features five top cricketers — Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. That apart, Tollywood actor Arpita too is part of it.
When reports hit headlines about how some of the cricketers have informally requested BCCI after they were not happy with the final version of the commercial, Sarkar said, “I have not been told anything. In fact, it is very surprising for me. I make so many ads and people usually don’t have the time to comment on them. I was pleasantly surprised to see my son’s friends discussing this ad. The feedback was very positive and youngsters have said that it is a thought-provoking campaign.”
However, some of the comments online about this ad have been a little unfavourable. This includes a remark like, “The first time I saw this ad, I was furious! I couldn’t believe Indian cricketers would do such an ad! I didn’t like the ad at all. It gives out a completely wrong message. I really hope they stop showing the ad immediately”. On being told about such comments, Sarkar said, “I understand that some people will have reservations about this ad since it speaks in very uncertain terms about corruption in the country. Some people in India had also reacted when Aamir Khan had highlighted some pertinent issues related to corruption in our country in Satyamev Jayate. I feel the same section of the society, who had protested Aamir’s decision to talk about corruption on national television, have reservations about this ad.”

Meanwhile, Arpita, who’s a part of the ad, said, “I had a great time working with Dada (Pradeep Sarkar). Dada’s mother-in-law is a fan of mine and working with him is like a doing a personal assignment. Also, it’s a huge high to be filmed by a good director of photography. Nutty, who filmed this ad, is great behind the camera. Sachin, on his part, was a thorough professional. Even after being in this industry for so long, I get jittery about getting my lines right, but Sachin was such a pro. It was an honour to work with him.”
The actor, however, was unaware of the controversy surrounding the ad. “Because of my busy schedule, I haven’t been able to see it yet. But I feel it’s always wiser to sort out any issue to avoid any scope for animosity,” she added.