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28 March 2024

Viral: Google's emotional 'Reunion' ad reconnects India-Pakistan

Two friends, split by the Indo-Pak parition in 1947, unite after six decades, with some assistance from Google Search. (YouTube)

Published
By Mily Chakrabarty

More than six decades after India-Pakistan's partition, the pain lingers on.

Google India on Wednesday, November 13, released an ad titled ‘Google Commercial: Reunion’. 

The video clip resurrects the pain of partition still felt by those who were separated from their loved ones. However, the ad also overpowers viewers' emotions and shows how modern-day technology can contribute to heals wounds that never really faded away.  

The 3:33-minute ad revolves around the friendship of two boys who were separated during India's partition in 1947.

The Indo-Pakistan partition in 1947 separated millions of friends and families overnight.

The two boys, who are old men now, were brought together with the help of their grandchildren and none other than Google Search.

The ad starts with "Ballu" in conversation with his granddaughter 'Suman' in India. The grandfather recalls his childhood days in Lahore and how he and his close friend Yousuf used to play together and enjoy a particular traditional sweet 'jhajariya'.

The old man's pain is felt keenly by the granddaughter and she, on an impulse, embarks on a Google Search and succeeds in not only tracing down the long-lost Yousuf in Lahore, but also chatting with him over the phone.

The search words - ‘an old gate’ and ‘jhajariya’ - are enough for Suman to connect with her grandfather's best friend.

"The granddaughter in India decides to surprise her grandfather on his birthday by reuniting him with his childhood friend (who is now in Pakistan) after over 6 decades of separation, with a little help from Google Search," the text accompanying the YouTube video explains.

Yousuf's grandson in Pakistan also does a quick Google Search to figure out how to get a visas to India.

Finally, the D-day dawns and Yousuf arrives in India with his grandson. The two long-lost friend unite in an emotional scene on a rainy day. (Don't miss the disbelieving way the two friends eye each other initially when they finally come face-to-face - it's a classic scene and the emotions are almost tangible.)

The heartwarming ad is sure to bring to overwhelm the viewers. 

The caption of the video - "Partitions divide countries, friendships find a way,” is allegedly one in a series of five videos, according to YouTube.

The video clip has gone viral on YouTube and other social networking sites as people respond to the ad's well-crafted emotional appeal.

The YouTube video, above, has already received 463,382 hits in one day.