Ching’s Secret Attack, now in a new, 9 minute, video pack

Ching’s Secret Attack, now in a new, 9 minute, video pack

Few people know the recipé of this concoction. Those who know are keeping it a secret. But they have managed to sell millions/billions of sachets of this ‘Desi Chinese’ product, without spilling the beans. Ching, a variation of Qing, refers to the Manchu dynasty in China, which ruled during 1644–1912, and was the last imperial dynasty that ruled the country. In Mandarin Chinese, thousands of words have varying pronunciations. Sometimes the variation has the same meaning, sometimes it means something altogether different. English does not have the exact equivalents of these pronunciations, so approximations are common. But one thing is sure: Ching is King. Actor Ranveer Singh has been the brand ambassador of the Ching’s Secret products, manufactured in India, for 10 years, so Singh is Ching, Ching is King.

To mark the eleventh successive year of Ranveer’s association with the brand, the makers of the Ching products roped in director Atlee, to make an eight-and-a-half-minute ad film, Agent Ching Attacks, in the action feature film narrative style. Yes, you got that right. A 9 minute, or, to be precise, an 8 minutes 45 seconds ad film. Never heard of such a thing? Neither had I. But it is true. The film was shown to media and fans on Sunday, 19th October, at the PVR multiplex, Juhu, Mumbai. Present at the event, which started two hours late, were Atlee, Ranveer Singh, Bobby Deol and Sreeleela.

In the film, Ranveer plays himself, i.e. the Ching King, alias Secret Agent Ching. Bobby, a good-looking actor, plays the villain, who wants to capture Ching, and get the Thing (secret). Though he is, and has been, hero material, producers/directors have seen his Animal instinct in Ashram, and he is getting type cast as a villain. Sreeleela is an American-Indian, whose acting career began as a child artiste, and since then, she has acted in Telugu and Kannada films. This is her Hindustani debut. Well, a debut of sorts. One cannot really call an ad film as a debut film.

Conspicuous by his absence was Ajay Gupta, Founder of Capital Foods. The company was established in 1996, when it launched the only pan-Indian Desi Chinese sauce brand, Ching’s Secret, offering Soy Sauce, Green Chilli Sauce, Red Chilli Sauce and Chilli Vinegar--with an actual green chilli in the bottle. In 2024, Tata Consumer Products acquired Capital Foods. Also present on the occasion was Deepika Bhan, President, Packaged Foods (India), Tata Consumer Products. Asked how does she use her Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney, she was candid, “Being a Punjabi, I like it on my paratha”. Based in Mumbai, the company has manufacturing facilities in Nashik, Kandla and Vapi.

If you went by looks alone, you would not sign Atlee as the director of your next feature film. Moreover, he does not speak any Hindustani, something compère Malishka (RJ) found out in a hurry, and had to translate her question in English before she got a reply. But think again. This dark, diminutive man of 39, directed and co-wrote, Jawan, the 2023 ShahRukh Khan double role starrer that was made with a budget of Rs. 300 crore, and raked in four times that amount. Has he done ad films earlier? No. So how did he agree to do this one? “Initially, I refused the offer. But when I met Ajay Gupta, he charmed me into accepting it,” revealed Atlee. Ranveer remarked that Ching’s Secret was one of the first endorsements had ever done. “And look how time flies. Eleven years have passed since then.” Dressed very soberly, for a change, he complimented Bobby on his cream-colour designer outfit, which was odd, though attractive. Sporting a beard, Bobby greeted the audience, “On behalf of I and my family, I wish all you people a very Happy Diwali.

Sreeleela was asked whether she gorged on Ching products during the shooting, to which she responded, “Well, I had to do action scenes, so I had to watch my weight. But on occasions, I did indulge myself.” It seemed that the action scenes continue, because she was looking a bit underweight. Somebody mentioned that she lived in Bengaluru, so I ventured to compliment her in Kannada, which is the state language of Karnataka, of which Bengaluru is the capital city. I said, “Channagide”, and she did not get me. “Is that Marathi?” she wondered. “No, I replied. It is Kannada.” “What is your mother-tongue?” she queried. “Urdu. And after hearing you on stage, I am sure you have learnt the language.” She admitted, “Yes, I have.”

Coming to the ad film, it must be clarified that corporate films can be of long duration, even much more than 8 minutes 45 seconds. But this was not a corporate video. It had a narrative story. An army truck is carrying jawans to their base in the Himalayas when a smoke bomb is hurled inside the truck. Cut to all the jawans held captive, with their faces masked by hoods. They have been captured by Bobby, who wants to exchange them for Agent Ching. He contacts Indian government officials, who have no clue about any such agent, and if at all he did exist, they do not know whether he is still alive or his current whereabouts. Proud Indians declare that they will not bow down to threats, even if their heads are chopped off. This triggers Bobby’s imagination, and he proceeds to remove the hood of one of the captives, with the intention of chopping off the head of the hooded man, and lo and behold, the man is none other than Ching himself. A fierce fight ensues, in which Ranveer is joined by Sreeleela. And guess what does Ching use to wrap around Bobby, to hold him in a bind? A several metres long ‘rope’ of Ching’s Secret sachets, bound together at their perforation marks. It’s slick, lavishly mounted, and has all the elements of a regular, potential blockbuster film, including a theme song, in which the singer asks Ranveer Singh to be renamed Ranveer Ching.

One wonders where will the makers show this film. Cinemas, TV channels and OTT platforms might not be too keen on showing such a long ad film. And this is nothing like a corporate video. But you never know. As we left the theatre, we were given ‘hampers’ of Ching’s Secret and Smith & Jones (a sister company) products. For those who have patriotic taste-buds, Ching’s Secret and Smith & Jones are desi (country-made) substitutes for their Chinese counter-parts.

Secret Agent Ching Attacks: https://youtu.be/9tel_cnP8oo