Kriti Sanon has reflected on the controversy surrounding her Raksha Bandhan advertisement, joking about the extent to which her outfit became a topic of public debate.
In the trailer for Kareena Kapoor Khan’s What Women Want Season 6, Kriti recalled the intense discussion that followed the release of the jewellery brand GIVA’s festive campaign.
Speaking to Kareena, Kriti said she could not believe that her outfit had become the subject of a prime-time television discussion.
“I couldn’t believe when my choli had become like a six-person panel discussion on prime-time news,” Kriti said.
Kareena responded, “I know.”
Kriti Sanon says women should not be judged
Towards the end of the trailer, Kriti was asked what women really want.
Her answer was direct: “To not be judged, and people should mind their business.”
The comment appeared to connect with the wider conversation around the backlash she faced following the Raksha Bandhan advertisement.
The upcoming season of What Women Want will feature several guests from the entertainment and fashion industries, including Ali Fazal, Neha Kakkar, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, Micky Contractor and Mira Rajput, among others.
What sparked the Kriti Sanon Raksha Bandhan ad controversy?
The controversy began after jewellery brand GIVA released a Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti.
In the campaign, Kriti was shown celebrating the festival by tying a rakhi to her brother as well as her pet dog. She wore an Indo-Western outfit in the advertisement.
The campaign subsequently attracted criticism on social media. Some users objected to Kriti’s outfit, arguing that they considered it inappropriate for a traditional festival.
Others questioned the way Raksha Bandhan was portrayed in the campaign, including its treatment of conventional festive imagery and the inclusion of her pet.
The advertisement was later taken down.
Kriti Sanon defended her take on Raksha Bandhan
Kriti subsequently addressed the criticism on Instagram and explained why she believed the campaign’s interpretation of Raksha Bandhan was consistent with her understanding of the festival.
She argued that the meaning of a festival should not be reduced to clothing.
“The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions,” Kriti wrote.
She explained that she and her sister also tie rakhi to each other and see their relationship as one in which they can protect one another.
Kriti further extended that sentiment to her dogs, describing them as family.
“For us, this prayer and promise extends to our dogs too! After all, they are family!” she wrote.
“Culture & traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline”
Kriti also questioned the broader tendency to judge women based on their clothes.
“Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear??” she asked.
She argued that while ethnic fashion has evolved, women’s connection with their culture is still sometimes judged primarily through their appearance.
“Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!” she wrote.
Her response shifted the conversation from the advertisement itself to a broader question about how women’s clothing is interpreted in relation to culture, tradition and respect.
Kriti Sanon’s comment comes months after the controversy
Kriti’s latest comments on Kareena’s show offer a lighter reflection on an episode that had previously generated significant online discussion.
Her “six-person panel discussion” remark highlights the unusual scale of attention the outfit received, while her answer about women wanting “not to be judged” echoes the position she expressed when she originally responded to the backlash.
Rather than revisiting the details of the advertisement alone, Kriti’s comments focus on the larger issue of how much public scrutiny women can face over their clothing choices.
What is Kriti Sanon working on?
Kriti was most recently seen in Cocktail 2, the romantic comedy-drama featuring Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.
Meanwhile, viewers can catch her appearance on Kareena Kapoor Khan’s What Women Want Season 6, where she discusses the Raksha Bandhan advertisement controversy and the reaction to her outfit.
