Nostalgia is a strange phenomenon. It resides in everything — music, movies, photographs, fragrances. And sometimes, in the most unlikely of things, like a glass of a jolly yellow drink — Rasna. For many of us, it brings back fond memories of childhood.
Recently, at a Rasna press conference, when I was handed a cup brimming with this mango-flavoured drink, it was the source of much delight. A sip of it and I was transported back to my summer holidays, when the drink was a staple. I remember sitting huddled with my cousins, around a large wide-mouthed vessel into which my endearing grandmother poured contents from that familiar carton of Rasna. Water and sugar would be added and she would stir, occasionally letting us do the stirring, and that made us feel all so important. And after a sip we would all exclaim ‘I love you Rasna!’, just like in the popular commercial.
The first Rasna girl grew up and went on to become an actor in South Indian films. A trail of other Rasna girls followed, each one at the end of every ad holding a glass and delivering the punchline that endeared the drink to so many young children. Mango, orange and lemon were the initial flavours it was available in till pineapple, kala khatta and 14 other new variants were introduced, with litchi being the latest. Back in the day, one could buy a packet for Rs. five and it would make 32 glasses. Now, the same packet is priced at Rs. 40. The nearly forty-year-old brand has constantly strived to reinvent — it came up with a sweetened powder form, followed by Oranjolt, and a ready-to-drink version. Next in the pipeline is a health drink for diabetics.
Started in 1976 by Areez Khambatta, it was called Jaffe, named after the Jaffna mangoes. But realisation that the name wasn’t working led them to choose an Indian name. Thus ‘Rasna’ meaning juice was coined in 1980. Areez’s son Piruz Khambatta, now the chairman and managing director of the company took over in 1997 after joining the family-run business, based out of Ahmedabad, as an 18 year old. The company has nine plants across the country which produce 500 crore glasses annually, with a new one planned in Chittoor. “It’s a fruit belt and close to Chennai which has got one of the highest per capita consumption of ‘orange-flavour’ Rasna,” he says.
“India’s real stories lie in rural India. That’s why we had a commercial focused on rural India and sung by Asha Bhonsle,” he says and adds, “But we also realise ads have to have an aspirational value which is what our new ones with Genelia D’Souza and now Akshay Kumar depict.” Today the brand is available in 40 countries including the U.K., the U.S.A, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Middle East, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. “It’s even available in the remotest of Indian villages.”
The current Rasna girl, incidentally is Khambatta’s eight-year-old daughter, Avan. “My classmates ask me ‘Why don’t you bring Rasna to school.’ I tell them how can I when I finish it myself,” she laughs. She says her friends are all fans of the drink — just like the many generations before theirs.
