The High Cost of a Crop Top in Corporate India

It takes surprisingly little to send a brand running for cover in modern India. A crop top, a cape, and a pet dog were apparently all it took for jewellery retailer Giva to surrender its latest festival campaign. The company’s misstep, in the eyes of its vocal critics, was marketing the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan through Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon without first submitting her wardrobe to self-appointed moral custodians.

The online uproar gathered momentum when actor turned politician Kangana Ranaut publicly questioned why anyone would observe a sacred tradition dressed in what she characterized as undergarments, branding the commercial as intentionally creepy. Online commentators quickly echoed her dismay, asserting that pairing modern styling with a sacred family occasion crossed a line of basic cultural sensitivity. Adding to the outrage was a scene in which Sanon extended the traditional ritual of tying a protective Rakhi thread to her pet dog.

Sanon offered a spirited defence on social media, arguing that culture and tradition reside in a woman's heart rather than her neckline, while pointing out that the festival's underlying theme of protection easily encompasses family pets. She found political backing from Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who defended individual autonomy in personal attire. Critics of the backlash were quick to note the irony regarding Ranaut, whose own earlier career in film and public life was marked by the very Western wardrobe choices she now condemns as a conservative parliamentarian.

Yet, predictably, corporate nerve failed at the first sign of public controversy. Giva issued a swift apology on social media, stating that if our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all, before announcing the complete withdrawal of the campaign across all media platforms.

This retreat follows a predictable script for Indian commerce. A few years ago, major jewellery brand Tanishq similarly pulled an ad depicting an interfaith couple after facing severe online hostility. When confronted with vocal interest groups, corporate leadership routinely prioritizes risk aversion over creative independence or individual choice.

The skirmish over Sanon's wardrobe fits a persistent national habit of scrutinizing women's clothing. Whether it is a regional chief minister publicly criticizing women for wearing ripped jeans or an exam invigilator forcing a teenager to wrap a curtain around her legs before entering a hall, the impulse to dictate appropriate attire remains strong. For businesses watching from the sidelines, the message is unmistakable: modern marketing is welcome, provided it never provokes the easily offended.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com