Sab Ka Malik 1 (ek) Hai.....

Driving is when I get to read the cheapest billboard messages, clumsily painted on backs of the ubiquitous auto-rickshaws.
The inherent but inexplicable tendency of these ARs to stick exactly to the middle of all roads, at rage inducing speeds accompanied by a highly misleading Porsche-isque engine roar make them more visible than most multi-million-rupee wide screens strewn along the arterial roads.

One such AR was carrying a very un-commercial message, which caught my eyeballs.
It said "Sab Ka Malik I Hai".
I am sure the painter was an unfortunate immigrant lured in by the "opprotunities" of Dilli.
Poor guy (I haven't found any lady painting billboards, yet, so I am being politically correct too) wouldn't have had any idea of what he was painting.
Or how well he managed to "distort" the intended message and at the same time express the collective mindset of Delhi's junta, better than any gold-plated copyrighter!

This reminds me of two more interesting incidences (yep, the old baldy is off on an anecdote trip again...).

About 12 years back, when I was still selling FMCG to traditional retailers (Organised retail was then in its infancy), I found some particulraly coveted inter-shop walls plastered with upside-down posters. The brand being advertised was (still is) from India's biggest FMCG marketer. Launched about 72 hours earlier. With much fanfare across print & electronic media!

I did a little investigation & found that the laptop toting, necktie-clad "marketing" teams have already visited the outlets. Yes, of course they saw the posters! The frontline guys knew about the impending visit & had worked overnight, to make the "visit" a success!

The second incidence is very recent & you are free to check it out.
Just after taking a left turn on the Mehrauli Gurgaon road, for the DLF Golf Club / Amex sectors, one suddenly sights an almost French Riviera like part of the highway. It's wonderfully broad, nicely banked & takes you right at the doorstep of NCR's posh Manhattan. This drive is agonisingly short & literally breaks in to a completely ravaged stretch of straight. In stark comparison, this straight is fully devoid of surfacing, almost a lunar landscape, with plenty of loose rocks that definitely help the radial-tyre industry over-achieve their NCR targets.

Bang at the end of this jarring road comes a highly visible bill-board. Put up by the "proud" HUDA management, announcing your imminent entry to Gurgaon.
I am told that this board has been there for quite some time.
Let's also not forget that this same road carries forth sedan-loads of BlackBerried executives, to the mindblowing towers further down. Day in day out.
Many of these successfull top-brasses take huge pride in flaunting their Gurgaon residential addresses too. Some even look down upon the vanilla types travelling in excise-duty tailored vehicles, for staying at sub-standard locations like Faridabad or Ghaziabad etc.

I am not sure if any of the Berryboys have ever noticed (like the upside-down posters) what's written on that HUDA billboard.

WELCOME TO GURGAON - THE "BATTER" TOWN.......

How true! And how prophetic the AR slogan was......