Mumbai, March 13 Director Prosit Roy says his new ad film “Band Baaja Bitiya”, which shows a father arriving with a wedding band to bring back his daughter from an abusive marital home, is a silent protest against a societal evil that has long been ignored.
The three-and-a-half-minute film, released on February 25 and featuring acclaimed actor Gajraj Rao, has resonated with many people across India, who have shared their views about it on social media.
Roy, known for his work on the film "Pari" and the series "Paatal Lok" season one, said when the story came to him, he thought about how his father would react in such a situation.
"I felt he would have reacted in a similar way... The people in the ad film are very real, middle-class individuals. Men from that generation often protest silently; they don't create dramatic confrontations; they quietly take action. This is the best way they can protest."
"The silence is precisely why stories like this need to be told. Whatever happens, we have to protect our daughters," Roy told
“Band Baaja Bitiya” opens with the father, played by Rao, receiving a distressing phone call from his daughter, Surabhi.
"Again?" he asks, his pained expression revealing the gravity of the situation. When he turns to family and friends for advice, their responses reflect a familiar social mindset – telling him that it is her home and fate, urging her to "adjust", and dismissing the abuse as minor, with some suggesting that things would improve once she has a child.
One morning, the father spots a wedding band outside a shop and decides to take it along as he goes to bring his daughter back home, using the celebratory music of a wedding into a powerful act of defiance against the abuse she has endured.
"The intention was to show the reality, remind, and inspire people that we can challenge archaic values. If even a few families feel encouraged to stand up for their daughters after watching this film, then we've achieved what we set out to do," the director said.
“Band Baaja Bitiya” has garnered praise from veteran filmmaker Govind Nihalani, actor-former Union minister Smriti Irani, actor Rajkummar Rao, and others. It was released digitally last month and has gained significant viral traction, drawing millions of views.
The appreciation from Nihalani meant the most for Roy, whose inbox is flooded with messages mostly from women who’ve been in a similar situation.
"When Govind Nihalani sir appreciated the film, it was a big thing for me. I've learned filmmaking from his films like ‘Drohkaal’, ‘Ardh Satya’ and many others that have influenced me greatly," he said.
The ad film, inspired by true events, came to Roy with a basic storyline developed by OR Radhakrishnan and Sneh Nihalani. It was backed by Sandeep Goel, Director at Goel TMT, whose brief was: make an ad which touches everyone.
The director said he was surprised with ad film’s massive impact and added that they were confident that they’ve made something “good”.
"We had no idea it would become this big. You can sense that from the reactions of people around you. But we never imagined it would connect with people so deeply," the director said.
"A lot of women wrote to me saying they had faced similar situations for years. They said the ad film made them feel seen for the first time. That was extremely heartwarming," he added.
When he started working on the ad, Roy said he instinctively thought of Rao, best known for films like "Badhaai Ho", "Lootcase" and "Maidaan", for the role of the father.
"I could only see Gajraj Rao, his face immediately came to my mind. He's such a stalwart that I hardly had to say anything. Once we understood the character’s background, he brought everything to life," he recalled.
The director said the story's emotional power was felt even during filming, which took place in Lucknow for over two days.
"When Gajraj ji performed the mirror scene, everyone watching the monitor could feel it. It just hits you. The same happened during the climactic scene where the daughter hugs her father. Moments like that remind you why you tell stories,” said Roy.