2 hrs ago
Why Kolkata’s Classic Puja Ads Still Tug at Heartstrings
Durga Puja ads are special to many people in Kolkata and beyond.
One famous Pantaloons ad told a love story during the festival.
People still remember it years later.
A marketing consultant says these ads make people feel something before they think about buying a product.
For people living far from home, the ads can bring back memories of childhood and Puja celebrations.
Some ads also remind viewers of family members who have died.
Others feel connected to stories about coming home to Kolkata.
Short videos are popular now, but many people still feel that older TV ads have a special emotional pull.
Pantaloons’ 2018 commercial about Puchki and Sujoy Da brought a Kolkata neighbourhood romance to life during Durga Puja.
The ad remains memorable and continues to appear in memes before the festive season.
Marketing consultant Arijit Sarkar says Puja ads use emotion to connect audiences with brands, unlike short-form social media content.
People living away from home say the ads evoke childhood memories, the feeling of Puja, and the experience of returning to Kolkata.
For some viewers, Puja advertisements also bring back memories of bereavement and years when celebrations at home felt incomplete.
- Who
- Viewers, including people living away from Kolkata, and marketing consultant Arijit Sarkar discuss the emotional appeal of Puja ads.
- What
- Classic television advertisements made for Durga Puja continue to evoke nostalgia and personal memories.
- Where
- Kolkata and among people living elsewhere, including Rotterdam and Manchester.
- When
- The article looks back at ads including a 2018 Pantaloons commercial, as Mahalaya signals the start of Puja.
- Why
- The ads connect viewers to memories of childhood, homecoming, family and the festive season.
Emotional pull of TV ads
Popularity of short-form video
What makes content memorable
Emotional pull of TV ads
Sarkar says TV ads were designed to evoke emotion, which helps some Puja commercials stay in people’s memories.
Popularity of short-form video
Reels and YouTube Shorts have become formats of choice for content consumption among young people in 2026.
What Puja ads mean to viewers
Emotional pull of TV ads
Some viewers value the ads as reminders of childhood, homecoming and the festive season.
Popularity of short-form video
The article notes that ads also serve brands by building emotional connections before promoting products.
Key facts
- Featured commercial
- Pantaloons’ 2018 ad told the story of Puchki and Sujoy Da.
- Other 2018 ad
- An ad featuring Ritabhari Chakraborty for Nykaa celebrated the ‘goddess within’ and carried a message against trolls.
- Marketing perspective
- Arijit Sarkar says brands use emotion in Puja ad films before selling products.
- Overseas perspective
- Shreya Acharya, a student in Rotterdam, describes Puja ads as a window into childhood and the festive feeling of Puja.
- Bereavement
- Additiya Mukherjee says ads depicting Puja not happening remind him of 2023, when his grandfather died.
- Homecoming
- Ritzu Ghoshal connects with homecoming ads after returning to Kolkata before Puja following a two-year stay in Manchester.
- Changing formats
- The article says reels and YouTube Shorts are popular with young audiences in 2026, while classic TV ads remain memorable.
Quotes
Additiya Mukherjee
A member of Southern Avenue's Dalal Bari Durga Puja.
“The first crack is always Mahalaya. Here, it’s the middle of the night. Everyone is asleep. And you’re sitting there listening to something that is supposed to mark the beginning of the most festive time of the year”
telegraphindia.com
“Brands sell emotions through Puja ad films even before they sell a product. Emotions do the heavy lifting”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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