New Delhi | Jagran Entertainment Desk: Recently, popular perfume brand Layer'r has released two ads for the promotion of their new product Layer Shot. The ads have faced a massive backlash from people for promoting rape and gang-rape culture. As soon as the ad went online and on national television, it made netizens furious, and it sparked nationwide outrage. Now, several Bollywood celebs, including Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richa Chadha, Swara Bhasker, and Sona Mohapatra have also expressed their opinions on the ad.
Calling it tasteless and twisted mind, Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar slammed the ad. The actor took to Twitter and wrote, “What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray gang rape innuendo ads!! Shameful."
What incredibly tasteless and twisted minds it must take to think up, approve and create these stinking body spray ‘gang rape’ innuendo ads..!! Shameful.
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 4, 2022
Following this, Bollywood actress Richa Chadha asked the makers of the ad " does everyone think rape is a joke?"
The actress wrote, “This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision-making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… does everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory!"
Global icon Priyanka Chopra also slammed the ad and called it shameful and disgusting.
“Shameful and disgusting. How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green-lit. How many people thought this was ok? I’m so glad that it was called out, and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling,” Priyanka wrote.
This ad is not an accident. To make an ad, a brand goes through several layers of decision making. Creatives, script, agency, client, casting… DOES EVERYONE THINK RAPE IS A JOKE? Revelatory! This brand, the agency that made this ad need to be sued for the filth they’re serving. https://t.co/M3YjbljAYN
— RichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 4, 2022
On the other hand, Swara Bhaskar mentioned the heinous crime which happened in Hyderabad on Friday. The actress wrote, “A teenage girl was gang-raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India… companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone-deaf, but also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it?"
A teenage girl was gang raped in Hyderabad-such incidents happen daily in India.. companies like @layerr_shot choose to make TV adverts joking abt & ‘cool-ifying’ rape & gangrape. Beyond disgusting! Not just tone deaf, also criminal! Absolutely shameful! What agency created it? https://t.co/8tRbDTfuez
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) June 4, 2022
On Saturday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcast asked social platforms including YouTube and Twitter to take down the ad. Both the ads depict women in a 'tough spot' where they have the fear of getting sexually assaulted.