The Stains That Complete the Celebration

With over 4.3 million Indians in the UAE, Malayalis form one of the largest expat communities, making Onam one of the most celebrated festivals in the Emirates. The Onam Sadhya - a meticulously prepared 20–30 dish feast eaten by hand on a banana leaf - is a ritual of abundance. Gravy runs down wrists, stains mark sleeves, and rice scatters across clothing.

For Malayalis living in a place where daily life prizes spotless whites and immaculate appearances, those stains aren't accidents, they're badges of participation, proof of having eaten with complete abandon.
Bahar's ‘Eat With All Your Heart’ campaign leaned into this beautiful contradiction with satirical humor and cultural authenticity. A content series of short films captured the futility of staying clean during Onam Sadhya: a man's hilariously failed ‘tutorial’ on stain-free eating, complete with tissue armor and plastic wrapping; a woman in her finest kasavu who meticulously protects her outfit until the first joyful bite; and the ‘clean freak friend’ scolding others at the table, only for the camera to reveal the largest sambhar stain on his own chest.
Each film delivered the same liberating message: this Onam, stop trying to stay neat. Eat with all your heart.