Kriti Sanon’s controversial Rakshabandhan ad has been pulled down by jewellery brand GIVA after the brand received backlash on social media.
In a statement, the company stated that they are removing the ad as it has “inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society.”
“We have the highest regard and deep respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals. As a brand, we have always believed in celebrating these joyous moments with the entire family and this time we wanted to extend the love and celebration to our pets. If our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all. Out of respect, we have withdrawn the said advertisement from all media. Wish you all the love & positivity this festive season!” the brand said in an official statement.
The ad shows Kriti as a sister celebrating Rakshabandhan, wearing an attire with a deep neckline. She is also seen tying Rakhi to her pet dog. A section of people on social media had a problem with the actor’s clothes. They stated that her dress was inappropriate for the occasion. Others also had an issue with her tying rakhi to a dog.
On Tuesday, Kriti had defended her outfit and interpretation of Rakshabandhan, arguing that the essence of festivals lies in the emotions and meaning attached to traditions rather than clothing. She wrote, “The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions. Rakshabandhan is a bond of protection. My sister and I tie rakhi to each other. We know we can protect each other no less than a brother would have.”
She added, “We pray for each other’s health, happiness & long life. And for us, this prayer and promise extends to our dogs too! After all, they are family! Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman’s respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes!! Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had also come in support of Kriti. Sharing her statement on his Instagram stories, Rahul wrote, “What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes is her choice. Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom,” along with the hashtag “Smash The Patriarchy.”
Previously, Kangana Ranaut had also criticised Kriti’s choice of outfit and called it “intentionally creepy.” Without mentioning Kriti’s name, Kangana wrote, “It is a wonderful time to be a woman, our closets are full of variety of clothes, today’s woman is a global woman, from cocktail dresses to lehenga cholis, jeans to saris, bikinis to salwar kameez. From all the options that are available to us today why would you tie your brother a Rakhi in your bikini/under garments? Where are all your styling options? Ha ha the advert looks intentionally creepy.”
On the work front, Kriti was last seen in Cocktail 2.