It will be a lie to say that a married man does not listen to his wife. Everyone does, as does the man in Kotak Life Insurance's new ad.

He always consults his wife before taking any important decisions. For example, immediately after their marriage, he decided to buy a car - a big one for his modern we-two-our-two family. When his wife vetoed the idea, they bought a new house. That really was a "smart decision" they took "jointly." When he proposed putting their savings in a bank, his wife, pretty wise as she always has been, summarily rejected it and they ended up investing.

Indeed, as if to impersonate universal hubbyhood, he cannot but listen to what his wife has to put in. But quite unlike those discontent husbands who are always on the lookout for distrusting wifely wisdom, he does not fret, nor does his smile ever vanish from his face.

And thus, although his ingenious plan to settle in Goa apparently misfired because of his wife's wish to open a restaurant, he found himself running an Italian restaurant on the paradisal shores of Goa.

Review: "They put on the kettle, they made tea and they lived happily ever after," said James Joyce about fairytale endings.

Of course, the ad under discussion is not a fairytale, but it does end on a fairytale note. We see that the couple's happiness is perpetuated in time and space.

"What happens next?" or "So?" some might ask, as if unable to suppress their disbelief, after watching the ad.

The question, therefore, is: how does the story relate to what Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance does? Definitely the story does relate to the message of the ad, and it does so very smartly - with all the "smart decisions" that the couple make to be Zindagi se ek kadam aagey (one step ahead of life).

The wife is undoubtedly wiser, and it is her discreet decisions and forward-thinking mentality that help them live a cosy life in Goa.

The monologic narrative technique, with the husband directly addressing the audience (notice the way he takes the viewers into confidence), adds credibility to the ad.

In short, it is not a great, memorable ad, but it is not a cheap ad either. It succeeds in conveying the message in a slightly hackneyed but convincing way.

Agency: Nakshatra
Running time: 40 seconds
ITV rating: * * *