Hema Malini calls Kent's controversial Atta and Bread Maker Ad 'inappropriate'
Mumbai/IBNS: Actor and BJP lawmaker Hema Malini has termed the recent advertisement of healthcare products company Kent RO Systems "inappropriate" and said it does not reflect her values.
"I respect and stand by all sections of society," she said in a statement following massive criticism of the advertisement for an ''Atta & Bread Maker" on social media for its "classist" content.
The advertisement in which Kent's brand ambassador Hema Malini and her daughter Esha Deol appeared, allegedly portrayed domestic helps in a bad light by indicating them as carriers of infection.
"Are you allowing your maid to knead atta dough by hand? Her hands may be infected," read the ad for Kent's Atta and Bread Maker, encouraging users to invest in the product that would make atta for bread hands-free.
The advertisement didn't go down well with netizens and was considered "classist".Views expressed by the recent advertisement of Kent Atta by @KentROSystems do not resonate with my values and are inappropriate, The Chairman has already tendered a public apology for the mistake.I hereby wish to put on record that I respect and stand by all sections of society. pic.twitter.com/i6tY3hJdt8
— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) May 27, 2020
After drawing much flak for the advertisemnt, the Noida based company has pulled down the advertisement and issued an apology.Reportedly, a Twitter user wrote: "In a classist way, the ad suggests that only a maid's hand could be unclean."
"Please accept our sincere apologies for having published the Ad of Kent Atta & Bread Maker. It was unintentional but wrongly communicated and it has been withdrawn," wrote the company's chairman, Mahesh Gupta, on Twitter.
The advertisement came at a time when there is widespread fear among people over contracting the disease by close physical contact and social distancing is being asserted.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.