When reel life Harshad Mehta recommends Duroflex mattress

Pratik Gandhi, who played the late disgraced stockbroker in ‘Scam 1992’, doles out advice on why you should buy a trusted mattress.

“I won’t preach, will only talk about profit,” says actor Pratik Gandhi in an ad for Duroflex, a leading sleep solutions company. For the uninitiated, it’s a simple ad, but for the viewers of the show ‘Scam 1992’ that premiered on SonyLIV last year (2020), it is the late stockbroker Harshad Mehta in the ad.

Gandhi played Mehta, who suffered a fall from fame and faced jail time for his involvement in the 1992 Indian securities scam.

In the 59-second ad, Gandhi talks about the importance of buying a trusted mattress that is “scientifically engineered” like Duroflex mattress, and not one made by anybody in the market.

A press note states, “It has an advanced five zoned orthopaedic layer, which is exclusive to Duroflex. It provides differentiated support for the five zones of the body, resulting in optimum body alignment. Along with that, the advanced orthopaedic mattress is sanitised and shipped straight to the consumers’ doorstep.”

The best aspect of the ad is the use of words like “faayda”, “market”, “recommend”, “top tip” – all related to the stock market.

Speaking about the association, Smita Murarka, vice president – marketing and e-commerce, Duroflex, said, “Buying unbranded mattresses is a widespread cultural behaviour in this category. Often consumers are persuaded against their own self-interest to buy unbranded mattresses for short-term benefits like price. As a brand committed to helping India sleep better, we want to educate people about the long-term detrimental effects of sleeping on an unbranded mattress for health and hygiene.”

“We want to bust the many myths associated with unbranded buying and create awareness about the fact that branded mattresses are research-backed and scientifically engineered with the help of experts to provide unparalleled comfort, support, a rich sleep experience and ultimately great health. Pratik, who experienced the benefits of using our product, echoed the same ideology, resulting in this meaningful collaboration.”