The Whole Truth sings a satirical smackdown on protein pretenders

In 1993, Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai scandalised a generation so much that Doordarshan and All India Radio decided it was too risqué for the airwaves. Three decades on, The Whole Truth has repurposed the infamous track not to titillate but to take a jab at India’s black-box protein industry. It is no longer the choli that conceals mystery but the tub.

Shashank Mehta, founder and chief executive of the self-styled clean label brand, put it bluntly on LinkedIn. Protein powders are “sold from shady supplement stores. Sold by bulky, hulk-like men (always men). And sold in big, intimidating black boxes.” No wonder, he argued, ordinary consumers find them alien and even frightening.

The film leans into this caricature. Half-naked men gyrate to cheeky lyrics that question what lies inside rival powders — opacity disguised as muscle.

Mehta insists the provocation is purposeful. “The lyrics acknowledge the problem. The iconic song (and the beautiful men dancing to it) hopefully brings down barriers to having the conversation. And our 100% clean protein powders (I hope with all my heart) enable the change.”

But there is a risk. Advertising thrives on intrigue but dies on misinterpretation. If a viewer leaves before the 45-second reveal, the message flips. The campaign meant to champion protein could be mistaken for a sermon against it; exactly the stigma that parents have preached for decades.

Arvind Krishnan, co-founder of Manja, the agency behind the film, shrugs off the worry. “People are willing to pay attention to things that really draw them and entertain them. In this case there were many layers to hold them till the end. We were confident in the craft to be able to hold everyone’s attention till the 45th second to get the message clearly delivered. I think we’ve earned that with an idea like this.” 

The timing is not accidental. Protein has muscled its way into everything from biscuits to bottled water. Mordor Intelligence pegs the Indian protein market at $1.52 billion in 2025, projected to hit $2.08 billion by 2030, growing at 6.52% a year. It is a crowded ring with contenders like SuperYou, Optimum Nutrition and MuscleBlaze all flexing for space.

By parodying a once-banned Bollywood anthem, The Whole Truth ensures that protein powders are discussed not just in gyms but in living rooms. The question is whether the audience will stick around long enough to get the joke or leave early, tutting, as they did in 1993.