As the tradition vs evolution debate rages on, Dabur has found itself in middle of a controversy for featuring a lesbian couple in a Karwa Chauth ad. In a bid to take the society towards becoming more inclusive, Dabur featured two women speaking about the importance of Karwa Chauth and their reason for celebrating the festival. They then stand opposite each other and do the ritual.
However, the ad did not go down well with a section of the audience, leading to even a legal warning from Madhya Pradesh minister. He asked Dabur to withdraw the ad or face legal proceedings, if action is not taken. He criticised Dabur for making an ad about “lesbians celebrating Karwa Chauth” and continued, “In future, they will show two men taking ‘feras’ (marrying each other according to Hindu rituals).”
After the backlash, the company on Tuesday withdrew an advertisement for Karwa Chauth that celebrated inclusivity, equality, and a progressive view of marriage, but also triggered a slew of harsh criticism .In a brief statement, Dabur said: “Fem’s Karwa Chauth campaign has been withdrawn from social media handles and we unconditionally apologise for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments.”
However, it is not the first time this year that brands had to withdraw their ad after facing social media backlash. Some examples include FabIndia’s Jashn E Rivaz and Aamir Khan’s no cracker campaign with CEAT, which were called out for being anti-Hindu.
