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From gulal to Modi masks, Holi material painted with political flair
The Modi mask is back to the fore in Aminabad and Yahiyaganj markets which are replete with all kinds of innovative sprinklers, toys, protective caps, masks, and gulaal. However, apart from the usual stock images of Bollywood celebrities, superheroes and cricketers decorating the packaging, images of the Prime Minister and chief minister and his political party as well can be seen on Holi paraphernalia.
LUCKNOW: This year again, the approaching festival of Holi has taken politics to another, albeit colourful level, with popular poltical leaders’ images on Holi material. The announcement of the Lok Sabha elections has added to the verve.
However, as per shopkeepers, this has nothing to do with one’s political stance but is a result of packaging by popular themes.
The Modi mask is back to the fore in Aminabad and Yahiyaganj markets which are replete with all kinds of innovative sprinklers, toys, protective caps, masks, and gulaal. However, apart from the usual stock images of Bollywood celebrities, superheroes and cricketers decorating the packaging, images of the Prime Minister and chief minister and his political party as well can be seen on Holi paraphernalia.
Slogans like “double engine sarkar” are printed across sprinklers, BJP and the lotus symbol on others. . “Our fare changes depending on the festival,” explained Vinod Pandey, a shopkeeper at Yahiyaganj. “We open up shop ahead of these festivals as these are times we can count on good business. And in these festivals, sometimes packaging matters,” he said. “For example, having these masks hanging in front of our shops is attracting customers.”
Popular themes make the cut
He further explained that when a Bollywood movie gained popularity ahead of any particular festival - the packaging of Diwali firecrackers, Holi gulaal, etc. featured the actors from those movies. He recalled when the lead characters of Dhoom and Dabang were decorating the packaging of almost every cheap product. “Similarly, the elections are on everyone’s mind at the moment.”
“We found out there would be Modi-themed items when we were about to purchase the stock,” said Shivam Jaiswal, another shopkeeper in Aminabad. “Almost every shop has some items, be it sprinklers or masks - especially the masks are in demand. It has nothing to do with our (the shopkeepers’) personal politics, it is about what people will buy,” he said.
Apart from the regular products like gulaal and sprinkler, he also has an assortment of masks and plastic ‘water tank’ bags for children, which too had the picture of PM Narendra Modi on the front, with the slogan “Hindustan ki Boli, Har Ghar Holi’. According to Jaiswal, most of the customers purchasing these masks were not doing it to show off their political stance, rather in hopes of standing out.
While the sales are slow, several shopkeepers are expecting more customers closer to the Holi weekend . The crowds would probably come from Thursday or Friday night, most of the shopkeepers agreed. “Most of us in the main market area have been able to make sales worth a few thousand, but that will ramp up in few days. We are expecting our stock of Modi masks to be cleared out,” laughed another.
