Palmonas has struck a chord online with a new digital campaign that brings together Shraddha Kapoor and Amrita Rao, cleverly reviving a long-standing Bollywood meme to promote its mangalsutra collection.
The film opens with Shraddha Kapoor also a co-founder of Palmonas holding a mock brand ambassador contract and questioning the need to appoint another ambassador for a line focused on married women. The moment sets the stage for Amrita Rao’s entry, styled in a soft, traditional avatar reminiscent of her much-loved role in Vivah.
In the 2006 film, which also starred Shahid Kapoor, Rao’s character Poonam became synonymous with the gentle line “Jal lijiye” (“Please have some water”) a moment that later evolved into a viral internet meme. The Palmonas campaign recreates this persona, with Rao delivering the line in the same understated style, followed by playful extensions such as “Jal rahi hai toh jaldi lijiye,” giving a clear nod to meme culture.
Much like the meme it references, the ad itself has gained rapid traction online. Social media users have described the pairing of Shraddha Kapoor and Amrita Rao as a “cultural crossover nobody saw coming,” while others marvelled at Rao’s youthful appearance. Comments ranged from light-hearted jokes about her not ageing since Vivah to admiration for how seamlessly she slipped back into the role that audiences still remember fondly.
The campaign highlights how well-timed references from older films can remain relevant in contemporary advertising, especially when audiences already associate specific characters with particular performers. In this case, the familiarity of Amrita Rao’s Vivah persona combined with Shraddha Kapoor’s modern brand presence has driven conversation, nostalgia, and shareability around the Palmonas ad.