New Delhi: An advertisement showing an inter-faith family by jewellery brand Tanishq has received massive backlash on Twitter, as a result of which it was taken down on Tuesday. The ad has divided social media and a section of the internet called out the company for promoting "love jihad" and "fake secularism".


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The now-withdrawn ad by Tanishq has opened several intense debates on social media, so much to the extent that #BoycottTanishq has been trending for a couple of days now. The clip showed a pregnant woman being taken to her bridal shower (godh bharai in Hindi) by another lady. The mother-to-be is dressed traditionally for the ceremony and as she takes her seat at the venue, she asks the other woman, apparently her mother-in-law, "Ma, but you don't celebrate this custom?"


The mother-in-law, in a salwar kurta and a dupatta covering her head, says, "The tradition of keeping daughters happy is there in every home." The camera then pans to the other guests,  setting the scene of a composite family. 


The video is no longer available on YouTube. However, as per news agency PTI, its description read, "She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don't. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions, cultures." 


Initially, Tanishq disabled comments and likes/dislikes on its ad on YouTube, and on Tuesday withdrew the video altogether. No reasons were given for dropping the ad. 


The clip lead to a barrage of criticisms for the brand, but there is a section of the internet that has lent its support to Tanishq and said that the ad shouldn't have been removed. 


Here are a few reactions:





Actress Kangana Ranaut, meanwhile, said that the ad "not only promotes love-jihad but also sexism". 




However, Richa Chadha found the ad to be "beautiful". 


(With PTI inputs)