Aamir Khan reveals ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ was Ashutosh Gowariker’s brainchild
The actor revealed that the initial concept, including the core punchline was actually developed by Gowariker, best known for directing the Oscar-nominated film Lagaan, which also starred Khan.
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Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has credited filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker as the mind behind the unforgettable tagline “Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola". In an interview with Lallantop, Aamir traced the origins of the early 2000s campaign that went on to become one of Coca-Cola’s most successful brand hooks in India. The actor revealed that the initial concept, including the core punchline was actually developed by Gowariker, best known for directing the Oscar-nominated film Lagaan, which also starred Khan.
According to Aamir, the idea first emerged during a casual conversation with Gowariker. “Ashutosh narrated the entire plot to me years before the ad got made. I was excited and took it to the then marketing head of Coca-Cola, Sanjeev Gupta,” Aamir said. But to his disappointment, the concept was rejected by the marketing head at the time at Coca-Cola.
Years later, when Shripad Nadkarni took over as marketing head at Coca-Cola India, he reached out to Khan for new ideas for the brand’s next campaign. “I told him, I already have something, but it was rejected earlier. I pitched the same idea again, and this time, Shripad loved it,” Aamir recalled.
Once approved, Aamir brought Gowariker back on board to direct the ad and looped in writer Neeraj Vora to develop the script. “The final dialogues were written by Vora, but the key phrase ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola' was entirely Ashutosh’s,” Aamir said, setting the record straight.
Launched in the early 2000s, the “Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola” campaign was a massive success. By aligning the word “thanda”, commonly used across India for any cold beverage, with Coca-Cola, the campaign embedded the brand into everyday vocabulary. Each ad in the series, starring Aamir Khan in multiple avatars, from a rustic villager to a Punjabi truck driver was widely acclaimed for its relatability, humour and emotional appeal.
