Actors
Farhan Akhtar, Richa Chadha and
Swara Bhasker on Saturday criticised a perfume brand for promoting "gang rape culture" with its latest advertisements. The two ads of perfume brand Layer Shot sparked outrage among a large section of social media users, who claimed the advertisements sought to promote sexual violence against women.
Taking to Twitter, Akhtar said the people behind the "tasteless" advertisements should be ashamed.
"What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray 'gang rape' innuendo ads!! Shameful," the actor wrote.
Chadha said both the brand and the agency that came up with the advertisements should be "sued for the filth they're serving".
"This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting... does every everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory!" she added.
Referring to the Hyderabad gang-rape case, Bhasker said she found the ads "beyond disgusting".
"A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & 'cool-ifying' rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?" she tweeted.
Singer Sona Mohatra criticised the ads and wrote, "Theme - Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse."
Earlier in the day, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry asked Twitter and YouTube to remove the videos of the advertisements from their social media platforms.
In letters to Twitter and YouTube, the ministry said the videos were "detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency and morality" and in violation of Information Technology (
Intermediary Guidelines
and Digital Media Ethics Code).
"It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting that an inappropriate and derogatory advertisement of a deodorant is circulating on social media. The Ministry has asked Twitter and YouTube to immediately pull down all instances of this advertisement," an official spokesperson said.
The ministry said that the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has also found the videos in violation of its guidelines and asked the advertiser to suspend the advertisement on an immediate basis.
Delhi Commission for Women chairman
Swati Maliwal
wrote a letter to I&B minister
Anurag Thakur and demanded "strong action".
"Fuming at cringe worthy ads of the perfume 'Shot'. They show toxic masculinity in its worst form and clearly promote gang rape culture!The company owners must be held accountable. Have issued notice to Delhi Police and written letter to I&B Minister seeking FIR and strong action,"