If you look at a printed condom ad today, the photo in it will typically be of a semi-naked couple in a state of sexual ecstasy. Similarly, an ad for a deodorant might have imagery where the intimate relationship between a man and a woman isn't veiled behind a cloak of secrecy. We are a lot more accepting these days when it comes to accepting direct messages from brands looking to sell their products. We like to clearly see what's on the label. But that's not how it was in the colonial era. People were a lot coyer when it came to discussing such issues. And a lecture at a SoBo venue today will shed light on how advertisements during the British Raj reflected the life and times of the citizenry in that age.

A present-day ad for a condom company, which is overtly sexual in nature