Karwa Chauth ad featuring same-sex couple triggers mixed reactions online, company apologises

Only towards the end of the clip is it revealed that the two women have kept the fast for one another as they spot the moon and then face their partners – in this case, each other – looking through the ritualistic sieves, a custom observed before breaking the fast.

The clip concludes with a logo of the Dabur-owned beauty brand Fem depicted in rainbow colours with the hashtag ‘Glow with Pride’. The rainbow flag is symbolic of the LGBTQIA+ social movement. Since being shared online, the clip has been greeted with mixed reactions over its message. While some have supported the brand’s initiative, others are critical of it.

“Mixed feelings about this one – accepting non-traditional relationships is good, but then promoting a misogynistic tradition and also spreading the “fair is beautiful” trope,” wrote a user while commenting on the viral clip. However, some also pointed out that fairness products are “inherently casteist and racist” and adding an “LGBTQI angle” won’t change that, while others called it conceptually flawed.

Post the criticism faced on social media, the brand has pulled back the campaign and apologised for hurting sentiments. “Fem’s Karwachauth campaign has been withdrawn from all social media handles and we unconditionally apologise for unintentionally hurting people’s sentiments,” read the tweet by Dabur’s official Twitter handle.

https://twitter.com/akanna_42/status/1451776422398283778
https://twitter.com/johnnyswifee/status/1451825861355737094

https://twitter.com/NivedNambiar8/status/1451842719429496836

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