Blame It on the Deo - The Invisible Side of Presence

Most people remember the old Hollywood movie 'Blame It on Rio' — a story of sunshine, emotion, and irresistible chemistry. You don’t need to have seen the film. The title itself says it all — when something magnetic happens, you smile and say, ‘Don’t blame me, blame the moment.’ Years later, an Indian TV ad reminded me of that same idea. A boy named Kunal sprays a deodorant before stepping out. He doesn’t say a word, doesn’t even appear again — but the girl’s father smells the air and knows, ‘Kunal was here.’ That one moment — silent yet loud — stayed with me. The ad never said it, but I did: ‘Blame it on the Deo.’ Because sometimes, what works in life isn’t your face or your words — it’s the invisible scent of your presence. I once saw a real-life version of this play out in a small village in Madhya Pradesh. A young man named Kunal — not the actor, a real village boy — had brought a new deodorant from the city. He didn’t have much, but that deo made him feel modern, confident. Every evening, as he walked through the market, the fragrance moved ahead of him. Shopkeepers turned, neighbours whispered, and someone teased, ‘Sheher waale perfume lagata hai, dekh lo!’ Before long, people started calling him ‘Deo Kunal.’ He enjoyed the attention. It wasn’t about the scent — it was about being noticed, being felt. Not far away lived Ankita, and her father — a retired schoolteacher, sharp as ever. One evening, a light breeze carried the same fragrance through their courtyard. The father sniffed the air and smiled knowingly, ‘Kunal aaya tha kya?’ ‘Papa, hawa aayi thi,’ Ankita replied playfully. ‘Nahi,’ he said. ‘Kunal ki khushboo aayi thi.’ Later, Kunal stopped using the deo. The teasing faded, but so did the attention. No one turned when he passed by. That day, he realised — it was never about the deo. It was about the presence it carried, the signal it sent. And that’s true in every walk of life — in leadership, sales, or relationships. We all carry our own invisible ‘deo’. Our tone, our warmth, our consistency, our intent — they travel ahead of us. Even when we’re gone, they linger. The ad never said it — I did. Because for me, ‘Deo’ is not fragrance. It’s the invisible power of who you are. So when someone feels your impact, even after you’ve left, just smile and say: ‘Blame it on the Deo.’