INDIA: Feels like Raymond - Even in Old Age

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CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu / The Hindu Business Line / August 26, 2010

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It Still Feels like Raymond

Remember the school master who was retiring from a school in some hill station and the warm send-off he got from his young students, and the respectful attention he then received at the wedding of a grown-up student who recalled all this in an old Raymond film? I do. And I am happy to note that the elderly gentleman is alive and well at the Shanti Bhavan Old Age Home, except that I didn't realise they still referred to assisted living in this archaic way.

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Never mind the nitpicking. Raymond is back with another tug at the heartstrings. This time, our perfect gentleman in his lovely suit that always feels so nice, takes the time and effort to call on the old gentleman on his birthday and turn his tears of loneliness to tears of joy by teleporting his grandson and children from some faraway place via the joys of modern technology, through a Web cam and a laptop computer.

The grandson sings a little “happy birthday” song which feels like heaven, and the elderly gentleman gratefully reaches out to the perfect gentleman to complete yet another film that feels distinctly like Raymond.

The memorable signature tune, an adherence to an emotional connect and a familiar look and feel, all contribute to a nice warm sensation.

Raymond and R.K. Swamy BBDO seem to have decided that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Very true.

The author, Ramesh Narayan, a communications consultant, adds:

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