Urban Company's new ad presents a candid look at a bias hidden in plain sight

Time of India

06-06-2025

HighlightsFundamental has launched the fourth installment of Urban Company's influential 'Dignity Of Labour' platform, which challenges perceptions around blue-collar versus white-collar migration in modern day India. Neeraj Kanitkar, co-founder of Fundamental, emphasized the importance of authenticity by engaging a dialect consultant and carefully selecting actors to reflect the true backgrounds of the characters. Tarun Menon, senior director of marketing at Urban Company, stated that the new film aims to explore the unconscious hierarchies that prioritize one migrant's progress over another's, promoting equal recognition for all professionals.
Fundamental
has brought the fourth instalment of
Urban Company
's influential '
Dignity Of Labour
' platform.
Crafted with the restraint of realism, the new short film unobtrusively but firmly challenges perceptions around blue-collar v/s
white collar migration
in modern day India.
At a time when the global narrative around migration is undergoing intense scrutiny, the inherent 'blind-spotting' of waged,
manual labour
brings the conversation closer home.
Juxtaposing the aspirational framing of a white-collar move from small town to big city against the involuntary bias surrounding blue-collar migrants.
The film exposes the unspoken double standards around which one career or profession or indeed one human is subconsciously considered 'better' than the other.
Neeraj Kanitkar, co-founder, Fundamental said, 'This story aims to shine a light on. Bringing the film to life was a learning all on its own. We engaged a dialect consultant – Ravi Pandey – to find just the right word or phrase that the AC technician could inadvertently be slipping into, allowing the customer to pick on the roots of the man. We explored terms which had their origins in languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri and Magahi. Before settling on 'bohaar' which means swept / cleaned.'
'
Shachi Malhotra
, the director, worked with casting director Kavish Sinha to find performers who felt right not just in terms of their acting but also their provenance. We wanted it to feel as authentic as possible. After that we just had to get out of the way of the actors and keep the cameras rolling,' Kanitkar added.
Adding to that, Ambalika Sen, managing partner, Fundamental said, 'Hat-tip to the solid foundation laid over the first three editions — the work that paved the runway for this property, making it rewarding to build on a legacy with something that adds meaningfully to the series. We knew from the start that this one isn't just another brief. It comes not only with expectations, but also purpose.'
Tarun Menon, senior director, marketing at Urban Company, says, 'In this fourth film, we explore the unconscious hierarchies that place one migrant's 'progress' above another's. Our platform exists to elevate every professional on equal footing, and this story is an invitation for viewers to recognise the shared grit, pride, and aspiration that unite us all, regardless of the uniform we wear.'
Watch the video here: