Mumbai- Actress Rubina Dilaik has weighed in on the controversy surrounding a Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon, saying brands should be careful not to use people’s religious and cultural sentiments simply to attract attention.
Speaking on The4POV podcast, which features Rubina and her husband Abhinav Shukla alongside actress Hina Khan and her husband Rocky Jaiswal, the group discussed the debate over the advertisement and the wider question of creative freedom in advertising.
Rocky Jaiswal said that while the choice of clothing should not have become the central issue, advertisements involving religious places or festivals also need to take cultural sensitivities into account.
“Clothing shouldn’t have created such a big issue. Freedom of expression is not absolute. My body, my rule does not enter in a religious space,” Rocky said.
Rubina took the discussion further, questioning the practice of deliberately using festivals and public sentiment to create controversy and generate publicity for a campaign.
“You can’t play on public sentiment and want to create a buzz,” she said.
The discussion also highlighted the responsibility of celebrities who associate themselves with commercial campaigns. Hina Khan pointed out that actors are not necessarily bound to continue with a campaign if they are uncomfortable with its creative direction.
“Actors always, always have an option of opting out,” Hina said.
The debate began after a jewellery advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon for Raksha Bandhan attracted criticism online. In the campaign, Kriti appeared in a bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt while celebrating the festival. A scene showing her tying a rakhi to her pet also became part of the online discussion.
The advertisement was subsequently withdrawn by the jewellery brand following the backlash.
The controversy gained further attention after actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the campaign. She questioned the choice of attire and described the advertisement as “intentionally creepy”, while also raising questions about how Raksha Bandhan and its cultural significance had been portrayed.
Kriti later responded to the criticism through social media without directly naming Kangana. Defending the idea that culture cannot be judged simply by a woman’s clothing, she argued that the meaning of a festival lies in the emotions and traditions associated with it.
“The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions,” Kriti wrote.
She further added, “Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”
The controversy has since developed into a broader conversation about the balance between creative freedom, commercial advertising and respect for religious and cultural sentiments. While some have defended the campaign as an expression of individual choice, others have argued that brands should exercise greater sensitivity when using culturally significant festivals to promote products.
–IANS