Snehashish roy
Kriti Sanon has found herself at the centre of an online debate after her latest jewellery advertisement for Raksha Bandhan drew criticism over her outfit and the way the festival was portrayed. While some social media users called the campaign inappropriate, others defended the actor and accused critics of holding her to contradictory standards.
The advertisement, for jewellery brand GIVA, features Kriti celebrating Raksha Bandhan with her family. She is seen wearing an Indo-Western outfit comprising an off-white bralette-style blouse, a cape and a draped skirt. In the commercial, she ties a rakhi to her onscreen brother.
The styling quickly became the main talking point after the advertisement was shared online. Several users questioned whether Kriti’s outfit was appropriate for a traditional festival such as Raksha Bandhan. Some criticised the campaign for allegedly presenting a modern interpretation of the festival that did not reflect conventional customs.
One social media user questioned the absence of traditional elements such as a puja thali and tilak, while another criticised Kriti for wearing what they described as a revealing outfit while tying rakhi to her brother.
Other comments went further, accusing the brand and the actor of disrespecting the festival. Some users also objected to the presence of a pet dog in the advertisement, particularly to the sequence involving the dog and rakhi.
The criticism, however, was not unanimous. A section of social media users defended Kriti and argued that the actress’s clothing should not determine whether the advertisement respects Raksha Bandhan. One user pointed out the apparent contradiction in audiences celebrating Kriti’s bikini scenes in films while criticising her clothing in a festive advertisement.
“People cheering her bikini scenes are now policing her,” one user wrote, arguing that women are frequently judged regardless of what they wear.
Another user described the GIVA campaign as a deliberate attempt to challenge traditional expectations about how women should dress during festivals, praising Kriti for participating in it.
The debate has therefore gone beyond the advertisement itself and into a larger argument about women’s clothing, cultural traditions and the expectations placed on female celebrities.
At the heart of the criticism is the question of whether a festival-themed advertisement needs to follow conventional visual markers of the celebration. Traditionally, Raksha Bandhan advertisements have relied heavily on imagery such as traditional Indian clothing, tilak, sweets, a puja thali and the ritual of a sister tying a rakhi to her brother.
Kriti has not publicly responded to the backlash so far, and neither she nor the brand has issued a statement addressing the criticism.
The actor was most recently seen in Cocktail 2, alongside Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna. The film is a sequel to the 2012 romantic comedy Cocktail and is directed by Homi Adajania.