Narrated by Lt. Col. M.K. Sinha himself, the Gillette Man Enough film follows the true story of how his life changed when a bullet tore through his jaw in the line of duty. It chronicles his physical and mental anguish in dealing with this crippling injury, showing us how regressive stereotypes of masculinity discouraged him from accepting his pain. However, this changed when his father, whom he considered the paragon of manliness, visited him in hospital. His father’s display of emotions inspired him to embrace his own, leading to him shedding tears for the first time in his adult life.

This moment redefined his notions of manliness and taught him that expressing emotions doesn’t make one weaker – in fact it makes them stronger and more complete. Gillette championed his inspiring story, hoping to spark change in the perceptions of manliness that the next generation of men would aspire to.

One of the most iconic lines in Bollywood is ‘Mard ko dard nahi hota’ i.e. men feel no pain. In a patriarchy like India, children inherit such stereotypes from their greatest masculine influence – their fathers. Reinforced by pop culture, role models and society overall, this makes young boys believe that hiding pain and distancing emotions are defining features of being a man, causing severe repercussions in their mental makeup.

Gillette wanted to tackle this notion of toxic masculinity, and groom the next generation of men to be the best they can be. Doing so meant defining a new standard of manliness that encouraged young men to accept their flaws. One that inspired them to realise that showing vulnerability makes them no less of a man, in fact, they should celebrate the fact that they’re man enough to do so.

Tackling a male stereotype that’s endured generations meant changing a lot of things. Even the way we cast for Gillette, one of the world’s leading male brands. We found what we were looking for in Lt. Col. M.K. Sinha – a now retired soldier. The very definition of macho, the epitome of manliness, but the antithesis of the regular, square-faced, chiselled jawline male razor model. Rather than choose him for his face and features, we chose him for what that face represents. We chose him not for his uniform, but for the man behind. Not for the scar, but for the extraordinary story behind it. A story that has the power to change the outdated notions of manliness that we’ve grown up with. Because while a model can impress, a role model can inspire. Which is exactly what the next generation of men need today.