THE COMMERCIAL COVERS KEY STORIES THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED ON THE PAGES OF MUMBAI MIRROR IN THE YEAR GONE BY. EXCEPT, THESE STORIES ARE TOLD FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE WRONGDOERS. THE HABITUAL MOLESTER. THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONER DEALING IN ORGANS. THE CALLOUS RAILWAY CONTRACTOR. THE MENACING MADAM OF A BROTHEL. AND IT’S THEIR TURN TO PLAY THE VICTIMS. THEY RANT AGAINST THE SYSTEM THAT HAS HUNTED THEM DOWN. THEY RAGE AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPOSED THEM. THEY PLEAD INNOCENCE, THEY APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S BETTER JUDGEMENT, AND ABOVE ALL, THE SPEW VENOM AGAINST THE NEWSPAPER THAT HAS MADE THEIR LIVES MISERABLE. THE NEWSPAPER THAT HAS HELPED BRING THEM TO JUSTICE. THE FILM ENDS WITH THE LINE ‘HATED BY SOME. THANKFULLY.’

MUMBAI MIRROR HAS OVER THE YEARS HELD A MIRROR TO MAXIMUM CITY, SHOWCASING BOTH SIDES OF IT ON ITS PAGES – THE GOOD AND THE EVIL, THE ILLEGAL AND THE RIGHTEOUS. THAT’S WHY THIS YEAR TOO, THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEWSPAPER HAS AN UMBILICAL CONNECTION WITH ALL THAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG ABOUT MUMBAI. FROM ORGAN RACKETS TO THE RISING RATES OF EVE TEASING AND CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN, AND FROM CHILD TRAFFICKING AND PROSTITUTION TO THE CALLOUSNESS OF CONTRACTORS WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING MUMBAI’S FAMOUS LOCAL TRAIN LINES, ALL THE ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED IN THE TVC ARE DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH THE CITY’S FABRIC. THE STORIES SHOWED IN THE TVC HAVE IMPACTED REAL PEOPLE, IN REAL LIFE – BOTH, LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS AND ANTI-SOCIAL ELEMENTS. THE FORMER HAVE BEEN BROUGHT RELIEF. THE LATTER HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO TASK.

Since the film inclines towards realism, one of the most important aspects for this spot to work was to get the casting right. Key objective for the director & production was to convince the audience of the authenticity of the people & their stories shown in the spot. That is why it was of paramount important for us not to cast from the bank of actors generally available for ads or cinema, where the faces have been over exposed to the TV audience. To achieve this we approached the theatre groups both on the regional & national level. Most of the shortlisted cast were first timers for camera & had never worked in an ad film or on television before. From the final cast some have been revelation to even themselves as much as to us that they could deliver such a power pact performance.