Mohey, the ethnic clothing brand which has been in the news recently for its advertisments, which have becomr talking points on socio-cultural issues, has come out with another one featuring Bolywood star Alia Bhatt.
This new ad didn’t go down well with some netizens.
On Saturday, the brand released a new commercial that showcased the Hindu wedding ritual ‘Kanyadaan,’ a Sanskrit word which means giving away a daughter to the family she weds into.
The film opens with Bhatt revisiting her childhood where she is constantly reminded by the older generation about how fit into the traditoinal Indian wife mould when she comes of age. She repeatedly questions and asks Alag ho jaana, paraaya ho jaana Kisi aur ke haath saunpa jaana Main koi daan karne ki cheez hoon? Kyun sirf Kanyadaan?
The ritual is then redefined as Kanyamaan,’ with the intent to highlight the idea of respecting brides. In the commercial, Bhatt is seen questioning the conventional beliefs where the family is required to give her away.’
When the ceremony begins, the pundit gestures the parents to give Bhatts hand into the grooms. As a response, in a role reversal move, the grooms parents come forward to take his hand and join in the ceremony with the bride and her parents.
This has caused much debate on social media with traditoinalists questioning the modern spin to rituals, while many lauded Manyavar’s progressive thinking, calling #Kanyamaan the new order of things in line with the discussion on equality.
Many were connfused as to what “social evil” the fashion brand was trying to address, while the more recalcitrant slammed the bridal wear’s supposedly “anti-Hindu” propaganda.