Is Shashi Tharoor's sister the real Amul girl?
What's the story
The iconic blue-haired girl in a red polka-dotted dress, popularly known as the Amul Girl, has become a cultural phenomenon in India. She is known for her witty one-liners and "utterly butterly" charm. A recent viral video claimed that the inspiration behind this beloved mascot was none other than Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's younger sister, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan. The claim was made by marketing consultant Dr. Sanjay Arora in an Instagram video that has since garnered over 1.8 million views.
Video details
The claim and family response
In his video, Dr. Arora traced the history of Amul's marketing genius and claimed that a photograph of Tharoor Srinivasan, taken by filmmaker Shyam Benegal when she was just 10 months old, inspired the mascot. The video quickly went viral and reached the Tharoor family. Responding to the claim, Tharoor Srinivasan confirmed her appearance in an Amul ad as a baby, adding that her sister Smita also appeared in Amul ads. But she was unsure if they'd inspired Amul girl.
Clarification issued
Amul issues official statement
Dr. Arora again posted with Tharoor Srinivasan's tweet, writing, "There you go guys @shobha.ts herself acknowledges and appreciates it." However, Amul issued a clarification, putting the rumors to rest. The dairy giant stated that "the Amul Girl illustration is not influenced by Ms. Shobha Tharoor." It clarified that she was created by Sylvester daCunha and illustrator Eustace Fernandes in the 1960s.
Model hunt
daCunha's alleged search for 'Amul Girl'
The viral clip had also revealed how daCunha had landed upon Tharoor Srinivasan's picture. Apparently, daCunha was looking for a child model to represent the brand, and went through over 700 photographs. Unsatisfied, he eventually reached out to his friend from Kerala, Chandran Tharoor, and asked for pictures of his children. The video claims that when DaCunha opened the envelope with these pictures, he found a 10-month-old baby girl with a ponytail - Tharoor Srinivasan - and found his inspiration.
Campaign memories
Shobha confirmed involvement in ad campaign
Now a California-based award-winning children's author and voiceover artist, Tharoor Srinivasan recalled her early involvement in the Amul ad campaign. She said she doesn't remember much about the shoot, but grew up hearing stories about it. "I was the first Amul baby and the photos were in black and white," she told The Hindu Businessline, adding that her younger sister Smita was also part of this campaign two years later.