Her choice: Rahul Gandhi backs Kriti Sanon after Kangana Ranaut's criticism of Rakhi
Her choice: Rahul Gandhi backs Kriti Sanon after Kangana Ranaut's criticism of Rakhi ad outfit
M.U.H
26/08/202612
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday backed actor Kriti Sanon after she faced criticism and trolling on social media over her outfit in a Raksha Bandhan advertisement by a jewellery brand. Sharing Sanon’s statement on his Instagram Stories, the Congress MP said a woman’s choice of clothing and lifestyle should not be policed online.
The row began after the advertisement showed Sanon in an ivory bralette-and-skirt outfit with a cape while tying a rakhi. The debate later widened beyond the advertisement itself, with discussion centring on women’s clothing, cultural traditions and personal choice. The controversy also drew a response from actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who criticised Sanon’s look in the advertisement.
Backing Sanon, Gandhi wrote: “What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes – is her choice. Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Sanon had responded to the backlash by questioning why a woman’s respect for her culture continued to be judged by her clothes. In a note shared on her Instagram Stories, she wrote: “Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline! Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?” She also said ethnic fashion had changed over the years, but women were still often judged by what they wore when it came to cultural traditions.
Her statement came a day after the advertisement triggered criticism online. Ranaut also reacted to the row and took aim at Sanon’s outfit in the campaign. In a social media post, she described the look as “intentionally creepy”.
Defending the advertisement, Sanon said festivals should be understood through the emotions and values linked to traditions, rather than through clothing. Repeating her point, she wrote: “Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”
Sanon also spoke about what Raksha Bandhan means in her family, saying it stands for a bond of protection between siblings. “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,” she said.
She added that she and her sister pray for each other’s health, happiness and long life, and said the same feeling extends to their pets. “After all, they are family,” Sanon said. In the advertisement, she is seen tying a rakhi on her brother’s wrist while their pet dog watches. She then ties another rakhi around the dog’s leg.
The advertisement drew criticism from some social media users who said Sanon’s outfit was inappropriate for a traditional festival. Others objected to the depiction of her tying a rakhi on a dog. As the disagreement grew, the focus shifted from the message of the festival to a wider argument over women’s clothing, cultural traditions and freedom of choice, with Gandhi’s intervention adding a political dimension to the controversy.
