In a country where women are still trying to find their foot and where actresses are still fighting for equal pay, sexual harassment and other issues, a certain perfume ad has created uproar. An ad for a perfume brand called ‘SHOT’ recently came under the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Many celebrities, who spotted the ad, took to social media to slammed it and called it a ‘disgusting promotion’ of rape culture. From Priyanka Chopra to Farhan Akhtar along with Richa Chadha, Swara Bhaskar, Sona Mohapatra, has voiced their opinion regarding the cringe-worthy ad.
Priyanka Chopra took to Twitter to speak on the ad saying, “Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling!” On the other hand, Farhan Akhtar too added, “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads..!! Shameful.”
Besides the stars of The Sky Is Pink, actress Richa Chadha said, “This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving.” Voicing out a similar opinion was Swara Bhaskar, “A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?”
Singer Sona Mohapatra, who has always spoken against the rules of patriarchy, went on to write, “Theme – Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse.”
On the other hand, the Ministry of Broadcasting has asked social media and the brand to take down the ads from all sites.
