'Shameful and disgusting': Priyanka Chopra and other celebs slam body spray advertisement promoting rape culture

New Delhi: A recent perfume ad has sent shockwaves among netizens and Bollywood celebrities. Perfume brand Layer’s latest ad for men’s perfume ‘Shot’ uses gang rape and sexual innuendo to promote their perfume. People are utterly shocked that how come such a distasteful ad got approved at multiple levels and made it to Television screens. Actors Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Swara Bhaskar and Richa Chadha expressed anger.

“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 every everyone think rape is a joke? Revelatory,” tweeted Richa Chadha.

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

Priyanka Chopra replied to her post and  called the advertisement ‘appalling’. “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!”

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 (@priyankachopra) June 4, 2022

Farhan Akhtar tweeted, “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

Swara Bhasker called the ad ‘beyond disgusting’ and tweeted, “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?"

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

Sona Mohapatra reacted to the ad and wrote, “Theme - Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse."

Theme - Gang-rape. Gagging after I saw it here on my twitter timeline & wondering if giving them additional publicity is worse. https://t.co/XrWPsQYsQ2 — Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) June 4, 2022

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has ordered the suspension of the advertisement, according to news agency ANI. An inquiry has also been initiated.

I&B Ministry asks Twitter, YouTube to take down "derogatory (Layer'r Shot) ad circulating on social media." pic.twitter.com/9aFUlKf97z — ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2022

I&B Ministry, in a letter addressed to Twitter and YouTube stated, “The above-mentioned videos are detrimental to the portrayal of women in the interest of decency or morality, and in violation of rule 3(1)(b)(ii) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which inter-alia provides that the users shall not host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, store, update or share any information which is insulting or harassing on the basis of gender.”

The letter further added, “It may be mentioned that the concerned videos were also broadcast on TV. In this regard, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the body which lays down the Code for self-regulation in advertising on TV in accordance with rule 7(2)(ix) of the Cable Television Network Rules 1994, has also found the video to be in violation of its guidelines. In this regard, ASCI has notified the advertiser to suspend the ad on an immediate basis”.