Mumbai: Kriti Sanon has found support from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi amid the growing controversy surrounding her outfit in a recent Raksha Bandhan advertisement.
Rahul reshared Kriti’s statement on Instagram and defended her right to make her own choices.
“What a woman wears, what she does and where she goes is her choice. Stop trolling women for exercising their freedom,” he wrote, adding the hashtag “Smash The Patriarchy.”
The controversy began after Kriti appeared in a jewellery brand’s festive advertisement wearing an ivory bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt. Several social media users questioned whether the outfit was appropriate for a Raksha Bandhan campaign. Some also objected to a scene showing her tying a rakhi to a pet dog.
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut was among those who criticised the advertisement, further intensifying the debate online.
Kriti later hit back at the criticism and said the true spirit of a festival lies in its emotions rather than the clothes one wears. She explained that she and her sister tie rakhis to each other and extend the same bond of love and protection to their dogs, whom they consider family.
“Culture and traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline,” Kriti wrote, while questioning why a woman’s respect for her culture continues to be measured by her clothes.
With Rahul Gandhi now publicly supporting the actor, the advertisement has sparked a wider conversation about cultural traditions, personal freedom and the policing of women’s clothing.
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