Alia Bhatt’s ad questioning ‘Kanyadan’ ritual during weddings, receives backlash on the internet

Team Udayavani, Sep 21, 2021, 11:01 AM IST

Manyavar Mohey’s ad featuring Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt is making rounds on the internet. The ad, questioning the practice of ‘Kanyadan’ during Hindu weddings, has opened a dialogue about the practice.

In the ad, the bride is seen asking why despite being showered with so much love, she is still referred to as ‘paraya dhan’. She questions the practice of ‘kanyadan’ in which the brides’ parents ‘donate’ their daughter. The ad sees a happy ending with the parents of the groom too ‘donating’ him.

 

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A post shared by Mohey (@moheyfashion)

“#KanyaMaan – Nayi soch, naya idea. Kyun paraaya dhan? Kyun Kanyadaan? Mohey Ka Naya Idea… #KanyaMaan. Celebrating brides of today with a modern twist,” read the caption.

While a few loved the concept, others questioned why do companies choose to highlight the regressive rituals of one faith only.

Yes @aliaa08 #KanyaDaan is patriarchal! Father kissing a grown daughter full on lips is, however, liberating! Right, @Manyavar_ ? pic.twitter.com/TAZhYyHrpU

— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) September 19, 2021

Aliaa, how dare you call our rituals patriarchal? Do you know what's Kanyadaan??

— JyotiKarma🚩🇮🇳 (@JyotiKarma7) September 19, 2021

https://twitter.com/creativeFreed10/status/1439594598507106309

Dear Manyavar, please concentrate on selling your lehangas by duly respecting Hindu religion, traditions & rituals in your advertisements. Kindly use your out of box ideas in making new style of dresses and not new style of customs else we'll boycott your products.

— Pankaj Gulati (@panky101) September 19, 2021

Shameful.
Celebrities should be more careful n sensitive as to what values they project in public because many innocent youth follow them.
The value system of the prevailing culture of common persons has to be respected and not polluted.
Being vulgar is not progressive or modern

— Seeker of Truth (@ginius2021) September 19, 2021

https://twitter.com/Someone_solo/status/1439151725156446209

Indian ads are sometimes more progressive than its films and TV combined.
💙💙@aliaa08 @Manyavar_

Tradition wahi, soch nayi – #KanyaMaan https://t.co/at2Mfi0AeP via @YouTube

— Ekta Chauhan (@ekta2993) September 19, 2021

This is called forced feminism. What a BS ad by Manyavar. Now they have problem in the term Kanyadaan. Who fills this dung in their mind? I feel it’s a deliberate attempt to insult Hindu traditions. F-O Manyavar https://t.co/ZiVZpUxZMi

— Ra_Bies 2.0 (@Ra_Bies) September 20, 2021