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This was not the first time that a ‘Lalu'branded product had become popular with the rural masses in
Bihar. In June 2006, it was reported that a toffee candy
branded as ‘Lalu ka Khazana'(Lalu's treasure) had become
hugely popular among children, especially in Northern Bihar.
These toffees, locally called as Lalu Chocolate, were
produced by a company called Chetak and were available in
two packs priced at Rs 1 and Rs 2. The toffees were packed
in sachets which depicted Lalu in two outfits - one wearing
his traditional dress, ‘kurta and pyjama'with silver hair,
and the other one as a magician dressed in trendy jacket and
jeans.
The company was able to sell more than 100,000 sachets of
‘Lalu ka Khazana'toffees, since its launch, and was
witnessing a steady demand. A distributor of the toffees
said, “Lalu Chocolate is a big hit in rural areas of north
Bihar districts like Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Madhubani
due to the unmatched popularity of Lalu.”2 |
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A shopkeeper said that kids always asked for Lalu Chocolates regardless of
its flavor or taste, only due to the popularity of the Lalu name. It was
reported that in a bid to attract more children, the company was offering
freebies such as rings and ear rings as gifts along with the toffees.
Another ‘Lalu'branded product that had made a good impact in rural Bihar was a
cosmetics pack branded as ‘Lalu Chale Sasural'(Lalu goes to in-laws house).
Each packet was priced at Rs 23 and contained items of daily use like face
powder, cream, earrings, sticker, and a necklace. The cosmetic pack had become
extremely popular among girls, especially in the areas such as Vaishali,
Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Samastipur. In 2005, dolls called ‘Laluji',
manufactured by Speedage Corp., had become a big hit among kids.
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[2] “Food for thought: Lalu Chocolate,” http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com,
June 08, 2006.
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