Earlier this year when tensions between India and Pakistan ran high, an Indian pilot named Abhinandan had his fighter jet shot down because he entered Pakistani airspace. After his jet was shot down, he had ejected and landed on Pakistani soil.
Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan’s arrest made him an overnight “celebrity” of sorts
The Pakistan Army took him under their care almost as soon his feet landed on Pakistani soil. And later in the day, a video of him was released by the Pakistani army to show that he was being treated with respect. The video went viral in both countries immediately.
I wanna put this on record, and I wont change if I go back to my country that I'm very impressed by Pak Army. They are thorough gentlemen and this is what I want to behave my army as. Tea is fantastic and I'm married. Wing Commander #Abhinanden in a new video. #budgam #IAF pic.twitter.com/6B2Y87vB1A
— Siddique Jan (@SdqJaan) February 27, 2019
Almost everyone agreed that they were happy to see Abhinandan being treated well. In the video, he is seen drinking (and later praising) a cup of tea and declining to answer any questions he is asked by the Pakistani army officials.
And now a Pakistani ad which has been making rounds on the internet seems to be poking fun at Abhinandan’s post-arrest video
The ad is by Jazz for Pakistan and India facing off on the cricket pitch in the on-going cricket World Cup. The questions being asked are related to cricket and India’s cricket strategy to which the actor replies with Abhinandan’s famous line, ‘I’m not supposed to tell you this.’
https://twitter.com/SaAbbas84/status/1138374511663943682
Naturally, Pakistanis seem to find the ad pretty funny
Love this 😂
— 🌶️ (@PrinceGoga1) June 10, 2019
But the ad seems to have a struck a nerve for Indians who find the advertisement incredibly insensitive
https://twitter.com/akdwaaz/status/1138382595094278144
In pathetically bad taste. It’s not just about this hero of an individual,it’s about the sacrifices made by their kind. To make mockery out of the incident is like belittling the sacrifices. Do these admakers realize that soldiers are way above a cricket match?#Abhinandan #cwc19 https://t.co/Ov3pktdwfF
— Sukti Dutta Chowdhury (@sukti26) June 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/MudgalAishwarya/status/1138374096872456192
Not to mention they’re raising concerns about the ad being racist, since the actor for the advertisement has visibly been made to look darker with makeup to play the role
Blackface as a joke has a history of being used at insensitive moments. This time, while the ad is certainly funny from a Pakistani’s perspective, it is also understandable how the blackface would rub some people the wrong way.
Abhinandan’s Capture Mocked in Racist Pakistani Ad For World Cup Clash Against India https://t.co/yfYaEXTUbM
— Nilofar Mughal🦋 (@NilofarMughal) June 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/dkdhavalkhunt/status/1138377325156823040
Abhinandan’s Capture Mocked in Racist Pakistani Ad For World Cup Clash Against India
Mimicking the video released of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistani military, the ad shows a model made to look like the IAF officer answering questions on camera. pic.twitter.com/NklbnH8tI3
— The Contrarian 🇮🇳 (@Contrarian_View) June 11, 2019
What do you think about this ad, Have you seen it? Do you think this tea is fantastic?
