Now Reading: Kriti Sanon Raksha Bandhan ad withdrawn after outfit backlash
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Kriti Sanon Raksha Bandhan ad withdrawn after outfit backlash
Jewellery brand GIVA has withdrawn a Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring actor Kriti Sanon after criticism of her outfit. The ad showed Sanon in an off-white bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt, which some social media users and actor Kangana Ranaut called unsuitable for a traditional festival. GIVA said it held Indian culture in the highest regard and removed the campaign from all media platforms on August 26, apologising for any unintentional offence.
Sanon had defended her attire on Instagram on August 25, arguing that festivals are defined by their emotions and traditions, not by clothing. She questioned why women are judged by their clothes and said cultural respect lies in the heart, not the neckline. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi later backed her stance, stating that what a woman wears is her choice. The brand stated the ad was intended to extend Raksha Bandhan celebrations to pets, but withdrew it out of respect for public sentiment.
Indian Opinion Analysis
ABP Live adds political context by naming Kangana Ranaut’s criticism and Rahul Gandhi’s support, widening the story into a culture-war frame that the Times of India pieces omit. The first Times article leads with Kriti Sanon’s defence, framing the brand’s withdrawal as secondary, the second foregrounds netizen backlash against that defence, portraying public opinion as unreconciled to her argument. The difference is audience: ABP reports the controversy as a political proxy fight, while both Times editions treat it as a social-media and brand-response story. Together, they show the ad provoked two distinct arguments, one over permissible attire, another over who gets to define festive tradition. GIVA’s swift retreat sidesteps both, leaving the underlying cultural dispute unresolved. The next test will be whether brands continue to run festival campaigns that push contemporary fashion boundaries.
Coverage: 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), news.abplive.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2) (sensationalist)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
