Jewellery brand stands by Kriti Sanon, explains real reason behind pulling Rakhi ad

Actor Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan advertisement controversy has taken another turn after the jewellery brand behind the campaign explained why it pulled down the commercial. The brand’s founder, Ishendra Agarwal said the decision was not a rejection of the campaign’s message, but was taken after tensions around some of its stores created safety concerns for on-ground staff.The 36-year-old actor had faced online trolling over her deep-neck, bralette-style blouse in the ad, with some social media users calling the outfit inappropriate for a campaign centred around the traditional festival.The jewellery brand later withdrew the advertisement from all media platforms. Its founder has now clarified that the campaign’s message remains unchanged and that the decision was made primarily to protect the brand’s employees and stores.Addressing the controversy on Instagram, the founder said there was a perception that the brand had backed away from its campaign or its message. He clarified that the brand continues to stand by the intent behind the advertisement, which was created in collaboration with Kriti. “I have been following the conversations around our Rakshabandhan campaign with Kriti and particularly the perception that we did not stand by the campaign or the message behind it. I want to be clear. Our belief in the intent behind the campaign remains unchanged,” he wrote.Agarwal added that the campaign was created with Kriti and was intended to celebrate Raksha Bandhan as a festival that brings families together. According to him, the brand remains aligned with the actor on the campaign’s intent and spirit. Explaining the decision, the founder said tensions surrounding some of the brand’s stores had escalated, with a few incidents creating an unsafe environment for its on-ground teams.“In that moment, our first responsibility was to ensure the physical safety of our on-ground people and our stores and I’d never allow them to be harmed,” he said.The clarification came after the jewellery brand issued an official statement on August 26 announcing that it had withdrawn the advertisement “out of respect”. The brand reiterated its respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals and said the campaign was intended to celebrate the festival with families, including pets.“If our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all. Out of respect, we have withdrawn the said advertisement from all media. Wish you all the love & positivity this festival,” the statement read.What did Kriti Sanon say?Before the advertisement was withdrawn, the Heropanti actor had also addressed the criticism and questioned why women continue to be judged based on their clothes.She argued that the essence of festivals lies in the emotions and traditions associated with them, rather than in what someone chooses to wear.“The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions. Rakshabandhan is a bond of protection. My sister and I tie rakhi to each other. We know we can protect each other no less than a brother would have. We pray for each other’s health, happiness & long life. And for us, this prayer and promise extends to our dogs too! Afterall, they are family!” she wrote.She also questioned the larger debate around women’s clothing and cultural identity.“Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman’s respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes!! Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!” she added.Soon after the debate sparked online, Kangana Ranaut took a dig at Kriti over the advertisement, questioning her decision to celebrate Raksha Bandhan in what she described as a “bikini”.What was being shown in the ad?In the advertisement, which has now been pulled from GIVA’s media platforms, Kriti was seen celebrating Raksha Bandhan wearing a bralette-style blouse paired with a cape and a draped skirt. She was also seen tying a rakhi to a dog.On the work front, Kriti was last seen in the romantic comedy-drama Cocktail 2, co-starring Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Aug 29, 2026 21:20 IST