Throwback Thursday: When Amul churned out the perfect ad on women’s empowerment

Amul's Manthan ad from the mid-90s painted a picture of female emancipation rooted in their financial autonomy

by Team PITCH
March 09, 2023

Throwback Thursday: When Amul churned out the perfect ad on women’s empowerment

Ads from recent years showcase female empowerment as women’s right to be their unabashed selves, fighting societal norms, subverting gender stereotypes, owning their sexuality and raising issues of safety.

Yet, the idea of female empowerment back in the day was starkly different from what we see today. Far from sexual autonomy and freedom from societal norms, women wanted economic independence. And if there is an ad that embodied the undying entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian woman, it is the Amul Manthan ad from the 90s.

The dairy cooperative Amul has been credited with transforming the lives of rural Indian women. Most of the dairy-related duties of Amul are undertaken by the women who handle the primary production stage. The co-op has helped many women attain financial independence and have mutually contributed to each other’s success.

In 1996, Amul needed an ad to mark Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation’s 50^th anniversary. What better way to usher in the golden jubilee than by honouring the women who made Amul?

The markets were flush with milk products with fancy ads and premium packaging. To stand out, Amul took a route to its swadeshi roots and went back to a film that was close to the dairy co-op’s heart – Shyam Benegal’s Manthan.

The 1976 film was inspired by the life of Amul’s founder Dr Verghese Kurien and is set amidst the backdrop of the White Revolution in India. More importantly, it was crowdfunded by 5 lakh farmers who donated Rs 2 each towards the film.

The ad is a montage of scenes from the film and shots of milkmaids set to the song by Preeti Sagar “Mero gaam Kaatha Parey” (My village is Kaatha Parey). The lyrics present a picture of prosperity and empowerment brought on by the women’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Sapne ho gaye hai sakaar

Damke mhara ye ghar baar

Aa gayi khushiyo ki phuhar

Barah mahine hai tyohar

Sun lo, sun lo re….

(Dreams have been realised

Our homes are glowing

Happiness has been gushing

All 12 months are filled with celebrations

Hear, hear)

Dudh ka sagar behta jaye

Kangan sone ke khankaye

Sun lo dwar pe shehnai

Mhare ghar jhanjhar lakshmi ke bajey

(An ocean of milk flows

Gold bangles are chiming

Hear the trumpets at the door

The anklets of Lakshmi are chiming in our homes)

The film also revealed how the might of 23 lakh women across 13,000 villages across Gujarat was bringing in milk worth Rs 20 crore every morning, leading to their own prosperity and the well-being of their families.

Amul revisted the iconic ad in 2012 with Sunidhi Chauhan covering the original song. The ad was also played during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown when channels aired Mahabharat and Ramayan.