A groundbreaking commercial in India portrays a relationship between two women that has swept the traditional country, where being gay could send a person to prison.

Clothing brand Anouk Ethnic Wear's three-minute spot, called "The Visit," shows a live-in couple chatting casually and primping in preparation for a visit from one of the woman's parents.

With flowing curtains and sunny windows, the ad feels like a scene out of everyday life and treads lightly around the pressures that surround a same-sex relationship in a culture of deep-seated social conservatism.

"We tried to avoid the stereotypes associated with gay people," Avishek Ghosh, one of the ad's producers, told the Times of India. "There was no one woman looking more masculine or feminine in the film. We tried to give it a candid feel like it is any other couple being apprehensive about meeting the parents."

As the first time making their romance public, the meeting represents a significant moment in their relationship, and the other woman frets over whether her parents will approve.

"You sure about this?" she asks.

"I'm sure about us, and I don't want to hide it anymore," her partner responds.

Homosexuality has been illegal in India since its Supreme Court restored an 1861 law two years ago.

The law, which had previously been overturned in 2009, makes gay sex acts punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Being openly gay or lesbian is still widely seen as taboo in Indian culture. Earlier this year, the country's entrant in South Africa's Mr. Gay Wold beauty pageant was forced to withdraw from the competition after he was flooded with threats against him and his family members.

But that hasn't stopped the ad from enjoying enormous popularity within India and beyond. The ad's creators told the Times that the video has tallied around 3 million views across various social media platforms in ten days. On Twitter, the ad's admirers spread the video with the hashtag #BoldIsBeatiful.