Mumbai: Godrej Consumer Products Limited has unveiled a public service film titled ‘Machar Hai, Mehman Nahi’ under its CSR initiative Elimination of Mosquito Borne Endemic Disease (EMBED), aimed at raising awareness around mosquito prevention and encouraging behavioural change among households.
The campaign addresses the growing public health concern posed by mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya, which continue to impact millions across India. Despite the scale of the issue, the everyday presence of mosquitoes is often normalised, leading to a lack of preventive action.
Rooted in India’s strong cultural tradition of hospitality, the campaign flips the narrative by reinforcing that not every visitor deserves to be welcomed. Through the central message ‘Machar Hai, Mehman Nahi’ (a mosquito is not a guest), the film urges households to treat mosquitoes as unwelcome intruders and actively prevent their entry and breeding.
The film creatively reinterprets the phrase ‘Padharo Mare Desh’ into ‘Na Padharo Mare Desh’, drawing attention to common household practices—such as stagnant water in coolers, uncovered containers and neglected corners—that inadvertently create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Commenting on the film, Sudhir Sitapati, MD and CEO, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, said, “Mosquito-borne diseases remain a major public health concern. It requires collective awareness and sustained behavioural change. Through ‘Machar Hai, Mehman Nahi’ we wanted to use a cultural insight that resonates deeply with Indian households. By rethinking the idea of hospitality, we hope to inspire people to take simple but effective preventive steps that keep their homes and communities safer.”
Creative storyteller Swati Bhattacharya, who conceptualised and wrote the campaign film, said, “ In India, hospitality is not just a tradition – it is an instinct. Just like we welcome guests, we also welcome mosquitoes with stagnant water and open rubbish bins. Lets unfriend the mosquito and have an anti-hospitality qawwali – machhar hai mehmaan nahin.”
The initiative will be amplified through a multi-channel awareness programme, including school engagement activities, community outreach drives, large-scale wall art across Maharashtra, radio storytelling, and a nationwide digital push encouraging citizens to ‘Unfriend the Mosquito’.
