# Giva pulls Raksha Bandhan ad after Kriti Sanon outfit row 2026-08-26T13:26:29+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Jewellery brand GIVA has withdrawn its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring actor Kriti Sanon after online criticism over her outfit, which included a bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt. The brand said it has the highest regard for Indian culture and traditions and withdrew the ad out of respect for those who were hurt. BJP MP Kangana Ranaut called the ad 'intentionally creepy' and questioned why a woman would tie a Rakhi in what she described as a bikini. Sanon responded that the essence of festivals lies in emotions, not clothes, and said culture and traditions are in a woman's heart, not her neckline. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi backed Sanon, saying what a woman wears is her choice. The episode has sparked a wider debate on clothing, culture and women's freedom. The Times of India reports that the ad also faced criticism for lacking traditional elements like a puja thali and tilak. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The coverage shows a culture-war framing dividing political lines. Brand Equity leads with the brand's withdrawal statement, presenting the controversy as a settled matter of respect for tradition. The Times of India gives equal weight to every actor, Ranaut, Sanon, Gandhi, treating the ad as a political debate rather than a brand misstep. Neither source critically examines the brand's claim of 'inadvertent' hurt or asks whether the backlash was organic. The real division is not over the ad itself but over who gets to define tradition: Ranaut's position or Sanon's. The next development to watch is whether the ad's withdrawal invites further debate or ends the conversation. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight wire copy reporting the brand statement and celebrity responses without framing one side as correct - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Chronological event recap presenting all views without editorialising This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-26T15:41:34+00:00. Tags: GIVA, Kangana Ranaut, Kriti Sanon, Raksha Bandhan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/giva-withdraws-kriti-sanon-raksha-bandhan-ad-after-backlash/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/giva-withdraws-kriti-sanon-raksha-bandhan-ad-after-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/