# GIVA pulls Rakhi ad after row over Kriti Sanon’s outfit 2026-08-26T08:10:22+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 8 independent outlets (9 source reports) Jewellery brand GIVA has withdrawn its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring actor Kriti Sanon after a social media backlash over her outfit. The ad showed Sanon in a bralette-style top with a cape and skirt, tying a rakhi to her brother and a pet dog. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut called the ad 'intentionally creepy' and questioned the clothing choice for a traditional festival. Sanon responded on Instagram, saying culture is in the heart, not the neckline, and defended tying a rakhi to her dog as a family bond. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi supported her, saying what a woman wears is her choice. GIVA said it had the highest regard for Indian culture and did not intend to hurt sentiments. It removed the campaign from all media. The controversy has sparked a wider debate on women's clothing choices and traditional values. Sanon's sister Nupur also defended her, asking critics to evolve. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage splits into two camps. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's criticism of the outfit as 'intentionally creepy' is foregrounded by thefederal.com and BBC, while cinemaexpress.com leads on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's defence of Sanon. Bollywoodhungama.com and onmanorama.com treat the row as straight celebrity news. M9.news sensationalises the controversy even after the brand withdrew. The core cultural clash is between Ranaut's framing of traditional propriety being breached and Sanon's argument that culture resides in intent, not necklines. The brand's apology sidesteps which 'segment of society' it appeased, leaving the underlying question unsettled for the next festive ad campaign. ## Coverage Coverage: 9 sources, 8 neutral, 1 sensationalist - thefederal.com (neutral report) Leads with PTI wire copy, includes Ranaut's criticism and Sanon's defence - telanganatoday.com (neutral report) Straight factual report of brand withdrawal and public figures' reactions - m9.news (sensationalist) Framed as ongoing drama with speculative ending about further debate - ndtvprofit.com (neutral report) Brief wire-style summary of brand statement only - onmanorama.com (neutral report) Balanced coverage of brand withdrawal and Sanon's defence - cinemaexpress.com (neutral report) Leads with Rahul Gandhi's defence of Sanon, reports Ranaut's retort - bollywoodhungama.com (neutral report) Celebrity news framing with brand apology and sister's support - bollywoodhungama.com (2) (neutral report) Focuses on Nupur Sanon defending Kriti, reports Ranaut's comments - bbc.co.uk (neutral report) Contextualises row in history of Indian ad withdrawals and dress debates This brief was synthesised by AI from the 9 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Updated: this story now draws on 9 sources. Last updated 2026-08-26T08:22:02+00:00. Tags: GIVA, Instagram, Kangana Ranaut, Kriti Sanon, Raksha Bandhan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/giva-pulls-kriti-sanon-rakhi-ad-after-outfit-backlash/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/giva-pulls-kriti-sanon-rakhi-ad-after-outfit-backlash/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/