India, 30th October 2024: From the warm glow of diyas to the aroma of festive treats, Diwali is a celebration of love, light, and togetherness that bridges hearts and traditions. Godrej L’affaire, the experiential owned media lifestyle platform by Godrej Industries Group (GIG), extends its heartfelt celebration of love and relationships with the continuation of their #CelebratingAcceptance campaign on Diwali.
The film aims to showcase the true meaning of acceptance and equality in relationships, by portraying the emotional journey of a same-sex couple. In a world where stereotypes and prejudices continue to persist, Godrej L’affaire seeks to challenge these biases through a compelling brand film. The story centres around young Shlok’s interaction with his neighbour Aunt, who helps with his understanding of love and family. As the Diwali celebrations unfold, Shlok encounters different family dynamics and customs. His neighbour Aunt teaches him that traditions are best enriched by embracing all types of relationships and Shlok becomes a catalyst for acceptance.
Featuring Ankit Andulekar (Animesh) & Shailesh Gupta (Jay) as the same sex couple, the brand film beautifully delivers a powerful message about love, acceptance and the importance of understanding and nurturing inclusive relationships. Godrej L’affaire, with this campaign, aims to emphasize the importance of relationships alongside traditions, highlighting that, ‘Riwaazo se Rishte nahi Bante’ (Relationships aren’t built on traditions), but instead ‘Hum rishton se Riwaaz banate hai’ (We create traditions through relationships). Through the innocent curiosity of five-year-old Shlok, we see complex themes like love and acceptance gently simplified. Shlok’s neighbour imbibes the message of celebrating all forms of love through a beautiful metaphor, ‘Brown ho ya colourful, hai toh dono mitti ke diye na.’ (Brown or Colourful, after all every diya is made from the same clay). This perspective allows Shlok to absorb diverse relationships without bias. This film reminds us that acceptance begins with understanding and that, sometimes, the simplest metaphors can impart the deepest lessons.
Diwali is all about the joy we bring to each other’s lives. After all, when each diya shines its unique light, the festival becomes even more meaningful. Shlok becomes an ambassador of change, learning and imparting the true spirit of inclusion at a young age. The message is clear: Diwali is for everyone, and every relationship should be celebrated with Pride.
Speaking on the campaign, Sujit Patil (he/him), Chief Communications Officer, Corporate Brand and Communications, Godrej Industries Group, said, “Festivities in India are deeply entrenched in tradition. With this film Godrej L’Affaire aims to generate conversations around widening traditional norms. We hope to spark meaningful conversations around love that transcends norms. Diwali is a time of celebration and connection, and we believe that the light of acceptance should shine equally bright for everyone—regardless of who they love. At its heart, this film reflects the beauty of relationships built on authenticity, reminding us that true joy comes from embracing one another just as we are. We hope it inspires people to celebrate relationships in all their forms and create traditions that are rooted in love.”
Further adding to this, Parmesh Shahani(he/him), Head – Godrej DEI Lab, said, “Godrej Industries Group has a dedicated diversity and inclusion vertical, the Godrej DEI Lab, committed to workplace inclusion and we were delighted to collaborate on this important project. Through this campaign, we hope to encourage viewers to expand the idea of tradition and love their family members in all their beautiful diversity, just as the mother in this video has done. Our efforts in this direction coincide with the recent steps of the government’s Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE), which had invited inputs of stakeholders and the public at large, so as to ensure that policies and initiatives regarding LGBTQI+ community are inclusive and effective. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has issued an advisory that there are no restrictions for persons of the queer community to open a joint bank account and to nominate a person in queer relationship as a nominee, while the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued letters to all stakeholders including all States/UTs to take measures to ensure the rights of LGBTQI+ community. We believe that through videos like this, we can share with viewers how invaluable support from family members empowers the LGBTQIA+ community to truly make every milestone in their lives a celebration of inclusion.”
Aadie Sawant (He/Him), Senior Content Creator – AGENCY09, the Ideator & Screenplay writer for this campaign added, “Familiarizing children to different concepts, different perspectives is important. Most queer individuals spend their childhood being indoctrinated to a “straight” way of living. Letting them know that it’s okay to pursue what seems right to you is crucial, so as to not affect their adult life. I’m happy that I got to share this narrative of acceptance and love.”
This Diwali, join Godrej L’affaire in embracing a significant step towards fostering a society where love knows no bounds and where all relationships are cherished. For more information, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/godrejlaffaire/
