Did Kriti Sanon Hit Back at Her Raksha Bandhan Ad Trolls? GIVA Controversy, Delhi Rape Case and Her Viral Instagram Like Explained

After defending a controversial Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring her as a jewellery endorsement in social media, Kriti Sanon has yet again become the subject of an internet debate after she decided to like an Instagram post which questions the criticism against the ad. The post in question has drawn a comparison between the criticism for women's dressing and the public reaction against the cases of sexual violence and domestic abuse. This recent action by the actress followed a controversy in which she became the target of criticism on social media due to her outfit in the aforementioned advertisement.

The Instagram post liked by the actress questions the fact that rape, sexual assault, domestic violence and dowry deaths sometimes receive relatively less public outrage than an actress wearing a provocative dress in an advertisement during a festival. Though the post was not written by Kriti Sanon herself, many people took her act of liking the post as a sign of her support of the argument presented in the post. This particular incident becomes even more relevant in light of the fact that Delhi has recently witnessed protests against the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl in the vicinity of Aastha Kunj Park. Students, including those from Lady Shri Ram College for Women have held demonstrations to protest against lack of safety and security of women in that area.

But what exactly prompted all this controversy regarding Kriti Sanon? The GIVA Raksha Bandhan campaign featured the actress celebrating the festival along with her sister and their pets. However, some people on social media criticized her dress and argued that it does not reflect traditional attire worn on a festive occasion. After the backlash, the jewellery company has withdrawn the commercial and the company stated that the withdrawal is related to the potential threats to the physical safety of its employees and store owners. The actress has reacted to this incident in a previous interview and has stated that culture and traditions should not be judged according to the neckline of a woman and festival is all about emotions.

It is quite evident that this controversy has shifted the topic from Kriti Sanon's outfit to a much bigger debate about the way women are judged in public. The supporters of the actress stated that the criticism about her outfit reflects a general tendency to judge women based on their appearance whereas the problems of sexual violence should be addressed. On the other hand, this incident clearly demonstrates how controversial discussions about cultural representation and festive advertising can become in social media. Kriti has not published any further statements along with her Instagram like, so it would be wrong to claim that she made a certain statement through this post.

For the time being, the Kriti Sanon Raksha Bandhan ad controversy is still getting a lot of attention since it involves celebrities, controversies about fashion in social media and a much bigger discussion about the safety of women. The advertisement has been withdrawn after the criticism and the earlier defense of the advertisement by the actress as well as the current controversy related to the Instagram post have kept the discussion alive. Taking into consideration the Delhi rape case and consequent protests, the comparison in the post gains even more relevance. Whether Kriti intended to make a statement through this post or just agreed with the arguments in the post is known only to her.