Gajraj Rao’s heartwarming new advertisement is making everyone cry; here's why
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Gajraj Rao’s heartwarming new advertisement is making everyone cry; here's why")
Gajraj Rao in the viral ad Photograph: (Screengraba via Youtube)
Bollywood actor and adman Gajraj Rao features in a poignant advertisement that showcases a father bringing his daughter back from her abusive marital home with a band in tow. The advert has gone viral, with people tearing up at its powerful messaging.
Advertisements not only sell products but sometimes deliver a powerful societal message. Bollywood actor Gajraj Rao is winning hearts on the internet for featuring in a powerful advertisement which is titled Band Baaja Bitiya. While the ad is for Goel TMT, its messaging is moving people to tears.
The advert mirrors are inspired by real-life incidents in which fathers brought home their divorced daughters with a band in tow. The ad was released a few days back and has gone viral ever since, with people tearing up at its brilliant and poignant messaging.
Gajaj Rao’s moving new advert
The advertisement shows Gajraj in two timelines – one, when he’s heading somewhere with a wedding band in tow, and another when he receives a heartbreaking call. “Phir se? (Again?)” he asks, as his daughter informs him of her domestic abuse. He is then shown contemplating as everyone, fom his wife to his son and relatives tell him his daughter must learn to ‘adjust’ and ‘accept her fate’. However, he seems determined as he walks with a band in tow to the daughter’s in-laws home.
He tells her husband and in-laws he’s there to take her home and adds, “Ye na koi parai hai, nahi dhan (She is not a stranger to me, and she is nobody’s wealth).” The ad ends with the caption: “Countless women suffer in silence because their families don’t stand by them.”
The ad on Goel TMT's YouTube channel has garnered over 3 million views in the last seven days. The advert has been directed by Prosit Roy, who in the past has made films like Pari and the first season of Pataal Lok.
The inspiration behind the ad
In 2023, many would recall, a man from Ranchi had brought home his daughter with a band playing to celebrate her divorce after an alleged abusive marriage. Similarly, in 2024, a man from Kanpur, UP, brought his daughter back home in a similar fashion after she allegedly faced domestic abuse for years at her in-laws' place.
Internet reacts
The advertisement has received immense love ever since it dropped online a few days back. Numerous Instagram pages and X accounts have been re-sharing the ad and lauding the thought behind the ad.
“Log kya kahenge? (What will people say?) A father answered with band baaja,” reads a post. “Sooooo good. Was in tears at the end of the ad,” read another.
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A father commented, “About a month back. Had this conversation with my daughter. This house is always yours. If you face any difficulty, I am always there.”
“One of those amazing human moments, when real life - inspires reel. @raogajraj you made me teary-eyed in the end,” wrote one X user.
“Ek hi dil warna thousand like aur kardeta (I would like it a thousand times if I could),” commented one person, while another wrote, “Pura din ban gaya ye dekh ke (My day is made after watching this).”
“I'm still emotional just thinking about it. My heart goes out to those still going through it. My dad's strength saved me - he came, saw, and took me away from the darkness. Alhamdollilah, I'm who I am today because of his unwavering support. Meray piyaray Abbu. (My dear father),” wrote an Instagram user, sharing her personal experience.
The ad was shared by Rao on his social media handles on February 18. He shared the video along with note that read, “There are stories that insist on being told because society needs to hear them. Perhaps that’s why, when I first heard #BandBaajaBitiya, it felt like more than just a film… it felt like a responsibility.
Thank you, Goel TMT and Sandeep Goel ji, for championing this subject and for making me a part of it. This is a story about support. If it moves you, please share it. Support it. #SupportIsStrength.”
Gajraj Rao was last seen in Jolly LLB 3 and Dupahiya in 2025.
