‘The Man Company’ and Bhuvan Bam show the journey to become a gentleman

For all the boys and men out there looking to become the best version of themselves, leading men’s grooming brand ‘The Man Company’ has a powerful message in its latest video: it takes time to become a gentleman. It also takes effort and helpful nudges from gentlemanly family members and friends, shows the video featuring leading YouTube star, comedian and actor Bhuvan Bam.  

The two-minute video is at the center of the latest campaign by The Man Company titled ‘Gentleman Banne Me Waqt Lagta hai’. Timed to coincide with the International Men’s Day 2022, the video can be seen on The Man Company’s YouTube channel and on other leading digital platforms. 

The video features five impactful vignettes showing special moments in the lives of various men that shape and mold them into becoming a gentleman. All of these moments are shaped by other gentlemen in their lives. It opens with a young boy trying to put on makeup and getting supported rather than reprimanded by his gentleman father. Other vignettes also show how men are breaking open the rigid constructs of masculinity, with help and support of gentlemen around them. 

Bhuvan, who is also the brand ambassador for The Man Company, breaks many male gender stereotypes and is known for portraying diverse characters in his videos. In this video too, he extols the audience to not measure ‘masculinity’ based on traditional norms. He does so by coming in support of another male Instagram influencer who is getting trolled by followers for not behaving as per the conventional norms of masculinity. 

“The Man Company has for long campaigned for the debunking of the existing social norms and expectations around ‘maleness’ and ‘masculinity’. We believe that our society and particularly other men play a significant role in the making of a true gentleman. This video is our effort to acknowledge their contributions as well as exhort them to shed their notions of what a man should do, behave, or look like,” says Hitesh Dhingra, Founder of The Man Company.

The Man Company has over the years led the charge on unnatural expressions of masculinity; instead choosing to focus on issues like body positivity that concern ordinary men through its various campaigns and videos. The company has also taken the lead in supporting ordinary men as they undergo a slow but steady transition toward becoming gentlemen, despite the constant societal pressures to act and behave in a certain way. For example, a video released for last year’s International Men’s Day celebrated the importance of self-love, while another one in 2019 saw popular actor Ayushmann Khurrana break down popular tropes of hard masculinity.  

“One does not become a gentleman in a day or a year. The journey begins right from childhood and there are so many small yet helpful nudges, praises, encouragement and influence from men around us that go into making a modern gentleman. We are deep diving into all these small gestures traversing through childhood to teenage to young adult life to being an adult that made you a modern day gentleman. Further, at any moment, millions of gentlemen are in the making, and millions of other gentlemen are helping them in their journey, and this is what we as a premium men’s grooming brand are celebrating this International Men’s Day,” Hitesh adds.  

Speaking about the video, Bhuvan says, "We must work towards building a world where society no longer gawks at or ridicules men who cry, or wear makeup or express their personality in ways that defy traditional stereotypes. As an influencer and a men’s grooming products brand, it is our responsibility to change social perspectives and bring about change and I am hopeful that this video leaves a mark in shaping a  new norm for the modern gentleman."

Bhavdeep Singh, Senior Creative Director at The Man Company and script writer for the video, says:

“Out of many insights the team had, this one resonated with us the most. There’s so much honesty in these words - that becoming a gentleman takes time. On this constant journey, there are ones who help a man face his fears, fight his insecurities, and with every little nudge, they help him discover a gentleman in himself. 

The best thing is, you don’t have to travel to unknown horizons to find these stories. They live around us. In us. And, what would be a better day of celebrating the gentlemen and their makers; than the International Men’s Day.”

Jatin Luthra, AVP-Marketing at The Man Company, says: “As India's leading men's grooming brand, we believe in going beyond a transactional relationship and building a deeper connection with our target audience. To do so, we picked realistic nuances from the everyday life of ordinary men and those around them who nudge them to become modern-day gentlemen.  

This International Men's Day, we decided to tell the world that becoming a gentleman is a journey, and millions help you along the way with our film- Gentleman Banne Mein Waqt Lagta Hai, executed by Elements Asia, directed by Nisrin Aziz and written by Bhavdeep Singh with huge support from Rumi Ambastha, Anushree Mishra, Shreya Grover, Kritisha Thakur, Ritika Joshi, Gunjan Nath, Nitin Kumar, Manish Kumar and Abhishek Kumar. 

Nisrin Aziz, film director says: “This year’s TMC campaign clearly set an intention for the advertisement, bringing everyone together with a powerful single minded drive to make the best version of this intention come through.

The film’s approach to tell “The Man’s” story through kindness, goes beyond the clutter of stereotypical gender differences. Kindness inspires. It is a safe space and a gentle learning. All of us (man or woman) understand what it is like to be kind, helping us form a precise definition of the gentleman in us. 

As a woman director, it’s been very inspiring to set positive intentions for the men in the world, by working with a company that believes! I’ve learned that when we create these simple but essential stories together, we are creating stories for everyone.”

The full ‘Gentleman Banne Me Waqt Lagta hai’ video can be seen on The Man Company’s YouTube channel, and on the company’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook profile pages.