Kriti Sanon’s recent ad controversy has taken a new turn.
In the aftermath of the massive backlash over Sanon’s outfit in Raksha Bandhan ad for the festival, Indian jewelry brand GIVA recently pulled down the controversial advertisement.
The update made fans and social media users believe that the brand must have realized its mistake.
However, in a shocking new statement, GIVA addressed the buzz, insisting that it stands by on its stance and do not consider the ad and Sanon’s bralette outfit culturally inappropriate.
In a statement penned by the brand’s founder Ishendra Agarwal, it was stated, “Hello everyone, I have been following the conversations around our Rakshabandhan campaign with Kriti and particularly the perception that we did not stand by the campaign or the message behind it.”
He continued, “I want to be clear. Our belief in the intent behind the campaign remains unchanged. The campaign was created in close collaboration with Kriti, and reflected a shared belief in celebrating Rakshabandhan in a way that brings families together. We remain fully aligned with Kriti on the intent and spirit behind the campaign.”
“The decision to take the video down was made swiftly as the situation around some of our stores escalated, with incidents creating an unsafe environment for our on-ground teams. In that moment, our first responsibility was to ensure the physical safety of our on-ground people and our stores and I'd never allow them to be harmed. Wishing everyone a very happy Rakshabandhan. Ishendra Agarwal, Founder,” he concluded.
Why did Kriti Sanon ad spark backlash?
The ad showed Kriti celebrating the Hindu festival in which sisters tie a thread called "Rakhi" over their brothers' wrists.
In the advertisement, Kriti wore an Indo-Western ensemble featuring a bralette-skirt combo with a cape and tying a Rakhi to her brother and pet dog
The video led to an uproar, with many criticising her choice of clothing during a traditional festival and some even objecting to her tying a Rakhi on a dog.
