Berger Anniversary TVC recreates 25 year old magic

When the Afzal Khan directorial advertisement for Berger Robbialac featuring Monir Khan Shimul and Lamia Tabassum Chaity aired 25 years ago, the duo became an instant hit on television. In a beautiful sequel to the ad film, directed by Adnan Al Rajeev, the actors were re-cast to recreate the same charm on screen. In the previous ad, a newlywed couple (Shimul-Chaity) are decorating their home with various colours of paint. In the sequel, the couple is coming home to their children and family.

 “The initial advertisement was filmed a long time ago,” says Monir Khan Shimul, “and I had a lot of expectations from this one as well. I even lost a lot of weight for it.” The actor, who is also a businessman, says that even though he barely finds time to feature in many projects, he looks forward to more work if the scripts intrigue him. “Back in our time, instant gratification through the internet did not exist,” says Chaity, “and I am frankly overwhelmed by the response that we received. It made me nostalgic and emotional.”  

The ad also features a slew of young actors, including the recent Miss World Bangladesh, Jannatul Ferdous Oishee.

Adnan Al Rajeev, the director, admitted to being nervous when he was handed the project. “I was a little tense, but it all went away when I met Chaity apa for the first time,” he said. “Her beauty and demeanour is quite traditional, and her chemistry with Shimul bhai is immaculate.” The director says that the challenge of recreating the classic ad was immense. “We had to figure out a way to make the ad film look colourful and nostalgic at the same time, and it was not an easy task. We had to nitpick every detail until it was perfect.” Judging by the response of the audience, the touching commercial, indeed, was perfect.