NEW DELHI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday questioned the focus on actor Kriti Sanon over a controversial Raksha Bandhan advertisement by jewellery brand GIVA, asking why the men involved in creating and approving the commercial were not being scrutinised.
“The public debate over a television commercial is concentrated on the woman who was featured. Where is the debate over the men whose decisions led to the final release of the ad?” Gogoi said in a post on X.
He questioned the role of men in GIVA’s boardroom who approved the advertisement and those at the creative agency who conceptualised and shot it. Gogoi said challenging patriarchy would also require Indian men to take responsibility for changing their approach.
His remarks came after GIVA withdrew the Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Sanon following criticism over her attire and the portrayal of the festival.
The advertisement showed Sanon in an Indo-Western outfit comprising a bralette, skirt and cape while tying a Rakhi to her brother and pet dog. Some social media users objected to her attire and the depiction of the dog.
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut also criticised the advertisement, while Sanon defended it, saying culture and traditions were reflected in values and emotions rather than clothing. She also said the festival’s sentiment extended to pets because they were family.
GIVA said it had withdrawn the advertisement from all media and apologised if it had hurt the sentiments of any section of society, while expressing respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals.
