Bai in Christian Louboutin

Semiotics? When I first heard this word in my work place, my initial reaction was ‘what in heaven’s name is this?’  And later as Santosh Desai put it – if you are feeling very good about yourself on any given day, just do a online search on semiotics; try reading it and everything else will go south for you thereafter.

But curiosity got better of me and I said to myself, what the heck? Let’s find out found what this thing called semiotics is all about.

Started reading some things online, got a graphic guide (yes, a graphic guide with the least appealing illustrations) to semiotics…and voila! my rather simple brain realized that semiotics is in what we do everyday.

We are all instinctive beings. Some more than some others. If we were to just pay more attention and be practical while understanding them (do not read more into it than it needs to be), we get to learn and understand people and situations better all over the world. I do not think then the region, culture, gender, age, socio-economic background etc. matter.

Let’s take a look at the life of a woman in Mumbaijhopad-pattis through the semiotics lens. She, more often than not works as a housemaid, with the husband being the chief wage earner or a drunk and an abuser. Whatever the scenario, she very rarely gives up her husband. He could even have a mistress, but no ‘mera pati sirf mera hain’ is always her bol.

Her will power to live life with renewed energy day after day is amazing. She will do all that she can do get her children and herself dressed in finery on all festive occasions, buy gold on Diwali, get her home white-washed. She is also the one who will use Dove soap, Fair & Lovely fairness cream, Ponds talc, bright and shining green coloured glass bangles, a shining mangalsutra and flowers in hair. This is her way of telling herself and her world that she is in charge of her life.

Her aspirational sense is no different than the woman who will wear a Christian Louboutin shoes.

And cheers to that!

Contributed by
Suma Joshi
Head - Creative Services
DY Works