Indian jewellery brand pulls ad after uproar over actor's festival outfit

A jewellery advertisement featuring Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon celebrating the Hindu festival of Rakhi became the center of a cultural argument this week when politician Kangana Ranaut questioned why the actor would tie the sacred thread to her brother's wrist while wearing a cropped top and skirt. Ranaut, a BJP member of parliament, did not name Sanon directly but called the ad "intentionally creepy" and asked on social media why, with so many clothing options available, someone would choose to wear what she described as a bikini or undergarments for such a traditional occasion. The criticism spread quickly online, with other commentators calling the outfit a bralette and describing it as insensitive to a sacred Hindu festival.

The advertisement also drew objection for a scene in which Sanon tied a rakhi to her pet dog, departing from the festival's traditional focus on the bond between brothers and sisters. Within hours, the backlash had accumulated enough momentum that Sanon felt compelled to respond. On Tuesday night, she posted to Instagram that culture and traditions live in a woman's heart, not in her neckline, and challenged the broader mindset that measures a woman's respect for her culture by what she wears. She defended the inclusion of her pet by arguing that while Rakhi traditionally celebrates sibling bonds, its deeper spirit is about protecting loved ones—a category she said extended to her sister and her dog.

Sanon's defense found supporters. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi publicly backed her, arguing that what a woman chose to wear was her own decision. Others accused Ranaut of moral policing and pointed out that the politician herself had worn short dresses and Western outfits in her films and at social events before entering politics. The conversation widened into a familiar pattern in Indian public discourse: a debate about women's autonomy and the right to dress as they choose.

Yet despite Sanon's spirited response, the jewellery brand Giva announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing the advertisement from all media. In a statement, the company said it held deep respect for Indian culture and traditions and had not intended to hurt anyone's sentiments. The withdrawal was framed as a gesture of respect, though it effectively sided with the critics rather than the actor who had defended the ad.

This is not the first time an Indian brand has capitulated to social media pressure over cultural concerns. In 2020, the jewellery brand Tanishq withdrew an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple after facing right-wing backlash online. The pattern reflects a broader reality: online criticism, particularly when amplified by prominent political figures, can move corporations to abandon campaigns even when the actors involved have mounted public defenses. The Rakhi ad controversy also sits within a longer history of debates over women's clothing in India. Last year, a beauty pageant contestant was praised for standing up to men who tried to bully her and other contestants over their skirts and Western dresses. In 2021, a 19-year-old student was forced to wrap a curtain around her legs after a teacher objected to her shorts during an exam. That same year, thousands of women and some men shared photos of themselves wearing ripped jeans after a state chief minister criticized a woman for the style. Each incident has revealed the same tension: between those who see clothing choices as personal expression and those who view certain outfits as culturally or morally inappropriate. Sanon's defense—that culture lives in the heart—was an attempt to resolve that tension. The brand's decision to withdraw the ad suggests the tension remains unresolved.