Mumbai: Actress Alia Bhatt’s latest advertisement with Manyavar has sparked debate on Twitter leading to #BoycottManyavar on microblogging site with many attacking it for hurting Hindu sentiments and ‘woked feminism’
Mohey is the female-equivalent to the brand Manyavar, both of which are designers of wedding wear.
Alia Bhatt featured in the ad that questioned the age-old beliefs of Kanyadaan and also if a girl is merely a liability which one rids oneself off after marrying her away. Is she some sort of a commodity to be given away? she questions.
In the video the actress is seen sitting of the Wedding “mandap” alongside her to-be husband awaiting the rituals as she reminds herself of the conversations she had earlier with each of her family members.
While ad does a good job in addressing the sexism still existing in the modern day India, viewers showed mixed responses towards it.
Though there was a set of people who were all praise for Alia Bhatt and the advertisement, multiple other netizens have found the ad to be against Hindu beliefs.
Reacting to the ad, a Twitter user said, “What a pathbreaking concept! Love the outfit and the message.”
However, a large part of netizens demanded to Boycott Manyavar for not realising the true meaning of Kanyadaan and mocking Hindu traditions. A Twitter user stated, “This over-hyped & over expensive wedding wear brand, Manyavar, should collectively be boycotted by all Hindus. Enough preaching against Hindu rituals and culture.. If Manyavar really wants to change the society..they should first make ads about halala, tripple talaq & polygamy..”
Another user wrote, “What is this advertisement? To your surprise, No, Kanyadaan doesn’t mean that a girl is a commodity and can be given away. Hindu rituals are so easy for you people to point fingers at. If you want to know about the piousness of Kanyadaan, this thread is for you.”
See some of the reactions below: