Hyderabad: The bike taxi company Rapido, has taken down part of their advertisement which compares congested bus travellers to a stuffed masala dosa.
The advertisement starred Telugu actor Allu Arjun in which the actor is seen being critical of the state-run buses and advocates for people to use Rapido. The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) served legal notice to the company for funding an advertisement which the state transport corporation claims shows them in “poor light.”
In this advertisement, Allu Arjun plays the role of a food stall owner and confidently tells customers that travelling in the bus turns commuters into the fillings of a stuffed masala dosa by the time they reach their destination. He further adds that using a Rapido bike taxi keeps customers fresh like a dosa just off the pan.
The TSRTC Managing Director VC Sajjanar demanded an apology from actor Allu Arjun a couple of days ago for starring in the ad. By acting in this advertisement, the actor had “belittled”’ the corporation he stated. He also said that while he held nothing against Arjun or the company, actors with such high fame should protect the interests of people and organizations that work in public interest.
The backlash came in from many sides of the organization including retired employees and regular commuters of the bus transport system demanding Rapido to take down the advertisement and tender an apology for tarnishing the image of the vast network of the state corporation and demoralizing its employees.