Kriti Sanon’s recent Raksha Bandhan advertisement should have been about the ritual. The actor was seen tying a rakhi on her brother’s wrist in a jewellery brand campaign. Instead, the moment became a primetime debate about what she was wearing, and she says the speed and volume of the backlash surprised her.
Speaking alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon put the entire storm into one line: “My choli became a 6-people panel discussion.” She said she could not believe that her outfit had turned into a subject for a primetime news panel, and Kareena Kapoor Khan’s response was short: “I know.”
The ad was designed as a wholesome festive scene, but by the time viewers were done with it, the conversation had moved from the rakhi to the Indo-Western styling of the outfit.
What Kriti Sanon said in reply
Kriti Sanon then made her position clear on social media. The statement was less about the ad and more about a familiar question: who gets to decide what a woman should wear to mark a tradition? Her points:
- She asked when society would stop telling women what to wear.
- She said ethnic fashion has evolved, yet respect for culture is still measured by clothes.
- Her sharpest line: “Culture and traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline.”
- She said the essence of festivals is in emotions and meaning, not in the clothes you wear.
- For her, Raksha Bandhan is a bond of protection she shares with her sister — and they extend the promise to their dogs, because they are family.
That framing does two things. It answers the outfit criticism directly, and it shifts the test of tradition from appearance to intent.
The brand’s position
The founder of the jewellery brand behind the campaign also addressed the conversation. She said she had followed the chatter around the Raksha Bandhan campaign with Kriti, and clarified that the brand’s belief in the message and intent behind the campaign remains unchanged.
That is a notable line for an advertiser: by standing by the campaign’s core message rather than re-litigating the styling, the brand is keeping the focus on the festival bond instead of the wardrobe.
Why this matters for Bollywood fans
Bollywood-led festive advertising often casts stars to sell jewellery, clothing and gifting around Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and weddings. The cycle is familiar: a campaign drops, a single visual becomes the talking point, and the original message gets lost. Kriti Sanon’s answer — that tradition lives in emotion, not in a neckline — is likely to be quoted beyond this one advertisement because it names the pattern rather than just defending one look.
Kriti Sanon was last seen on screen in Cocktail 2, alongside Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.
Source: Filmfare