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The Mohey brand ad for Manyavar has the trolls breathing fire against scratching out 'kanyadaan' to make it 'kanyamaan' because why would they want women to be given more dignity, right?
The Mohey brand ad for Manyavar has the trolls breathing fire against scratching out ‘kanyadaan’ to make it ‘kanyamaan’ because why would they want women to be given more dignity, right?
On Saturday, 18th September, bridal brand Mohey came out with a Manyavar ad featuring Alia Bhatt. The ad addressed the disrespectful to women ‘kanyadaan’ and sought to replace it with ‘kanyamaan’.
Kanyadaan is a ritual where brides are given away by their father to her new family as if she is a property. In this new ad, Alia Bhatt is seen talking about how women are considered “paraya dhan” (other’s property, since it is given that a woman will eventually have to marry someone and settle down) and replaces it with the word “kanyamaan” (respecting women).
This new ad with the tagline “tradition wahi, sochh nayi” (same old tradition with a new idea) has created quite a buzz on the internet with a large range of reactions.
Though some people have applauded the brand for talking about this extremely patriarchal practice, a number of people have also called it out as ‘anti-Hindu’. According to them, Mohey is hurting religious sentiments by starting a conversation about a sexist practice in Hindu marriages while not talking about problematic practices in other religions.
However, this is not the first time a brand has received backlash for trying to be progressive. Last year, jewelry brand Tanishq received similar criticism for daring to show a Muslim family organizing a Hindu ceremony for their Hindu daughter in law. The ad was for their new collection “Ekatvam” (meaning oneness) and carried the description, “She is married into a family that loves her like their own child.”
The internet (dare I say, troll army) was quick to call it ‘anti-Hindu’ and ‘pro Love Jihad’. Tanishq was forced to pull down the ad after severe backlash.
However, it is not just interfaith relationships portrayed in ads that have created a stir on the internet.
Recently, a new ad by Cadbury titled “Kuch Khaas Hai” recreated the iconic 1990s ad but with a gender swap and even that had managed to garner massive criticism and trolling. According to the trolls, this new twist has ruined both their nostalgia and the old ad completely because, for them, women are supposed to be the ones cheering and not the ones playing on the field.
No matter how progressive the ads are, the criticisms will definitely find you. It is as if the ads are not the problem, but women are. Especially women who exercise their agency to choose a partner or play ‘manly’ sports like cricket are the ones people are most threatened by. Though, Mohey celebrates marriage within a brahminical patriarchal framework, it still manages to initiate a conversation. Hopefully, we will have more ads which attack and do away with the sexist and casteist practices that are still widely prevalent, in the near future.
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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