BJP MP and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday commented on Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement, further fuelling an ongoing controversy. The Raksha Bandhan ad for jewellery brand GIVA, featuring Sanon, had stirred up a debate on social media, with many flagging the ad as insensitive towards Hindu traditions.
The ad, posted on GIVA’s official YouTube channel on August 17, shows Sanon celebrating Raksha Bandhan with rakhis from the brand. The brand had introduced “pet rakhis” and aimed to promote the new product. However, the act of tying a rakhi on a dog and Sanon’s outfit in the video hurt the sentiments of many viewers, leading to the controversy.
The 35-second advertisement intended to give the festival a contemporary spin, showing a lighthearted moment in which Sanon ties a rakhi on her brother before tying a dog-themed rakhi on her pet.
Much of the criticism is directed at Sanon’s outfit while celebrating the festival: an ivory bralette-style blouse paired with a draped skirt. Many viewers questioned the dressing style, calling the styling out of place and “modern” for an advertisement based on a traditional festival like Raksha Bandhan.
Amid the growing backlash, actor-politician Kangana Ranaut slammed Sanon’s outfit in the advertisement on her Instagram story, calling it “intentionally creepy”. Ranaut wrote that women have a greater variety of clothing today and implied that she could not understand the logic behind choosing this particular outfit.
“It's a wonderful time to be a woman; our closets are full of a 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/ undergarments? Where are all your styling options? Ha ha, the advert looks intentionally creepy!" she wrote.
“Kriti Sanon wearing a bra while tying a rakhi to her brother in a new jewellery Ad by GIVA. You won't see them making fun of either Eid or Christmas (sic),” another X user wrote.
The act of tying a rakhi on her dog also extended the idea of traditional Raksha Bandhan beyond the brother-sister relationship, which critics claimed as disrespectful to traditional Hindu customs.
Many users are demanding a boycott of the advertisement, while supporters are defending creative freedom and praising the inclusion of pets. Neither the actresses nor the brand has issued an official response to the backlash.
