There’s poetic justice in the fact that women fighter pilots are taking to the skies at a time when gender barriers and stereotypes still thrive on ground. It is a known fact that Indian women conform to all the gender stereotypes she's been boxed into. What work she's supposed to do, how she's supposed to act, how she's supposed to take care of the house, give birth to children and bat her eyelids at her man's bravado. Her role in society is predetermined and any future outside those guardrails is strictly limited by societal pressures.

The fact that the IAF recruited its first women fighter pilots shattered that notion, and shaped our idea - Let equality in the skies inspire more equality on earth.

The film is narrated from the point of view of an Indian woman who speaks of conforming to all the gender stereotypes she's been boxed into. The things she's supposed to be scared of, how she can never take on the burden of a man's job and how she will snuff out her ambition only to give birth to a son. This against the starkly contrasting visual backdrop of Indian Airforce jets blazing through the sky and wiping out targets with ruthless tenacity. The film goes on to reveal the brave women behind these awe-inspiring aerial acts and how they're now changing the stereotype of the Indian woman - from that of a homemaker to one who will now protect the nation.

The film was released online through IAF social channels.

Time magazine said - 'It powerfully challenges the gender stereotypes that keep women grounded at home.'

BBC said - 'It challenges the idea that women should be at home.'

In a span of 15 days, the film garnered Earned Media worth 102 Million INR. It also amassed approximately 150 Million global impressions and 19 Million views.

Also, after 10 days of the campaign, the IAF announced it would accept women candidates from the National Cadet Corps, to apply for positions in the Indian Air Force.

While it's seemingly an online recruitment film, the intention was to change archaic gender norms and stereotypes across society. A huge ambition that could possibly empower and inspire a whole generation of young Indian girls to aim higher and shatter every ceiling that comes their way. The most important strategic decision was to creatively use India's first batch of women fighter pilots - no actors, but real women who are marching through the drills every single day and proving that women can do everything a man can. This is what sparked off the conversation in the media which is used to seeing brands paying lip service to the ongoing debate on empowerment. We wanted the IAF to be seen as an organisation that walks the talk and is a pioneer when it comes to changing deeply etched societal barriers.

Indian society has a strong patriarchal skew and stereotypes around the role and place of women abound. When the IAF inducted India's first women fighter pilots, they felt it was time to change these archaic gender stereotypes and encourage more women to shatter the ceiling. Since the air force is seen as a bastion of male-only bravado, an exclusive boys club where guts and glory are the sole prerogative of men, a message of equality from them would surely be a definitive end to the debate on equality. We wanted the Air Force to champion this change in Indian society, to encapsulate this vision of equality and also make people aware of both the IAF and its stance that the service of the nation knows no gender. The campaign wanted to make a change in the way Indian men look at the role of women, not just in the forces, but in society at large.