Days after jewellery brand GIVA withdrew its controversial Raksha Bandhan ad campaign featuring actress Kriti Sanon, the brand’s founder, Ishendra Aggarwal, has said that he stands by the ‘intent’ of the ad campaign.
In the Instagram message, Aggarwal clearly stated that his “belief in the intent behind the campaign remains unchanged”. He said that the ad campaign reflected the shared belief of the brand and Kriti Sanon regarding the festival of Raksha Bandhan. “We remain fully aligned with Kriti on the intent and the spirit behind the campaign,” Aggarwal said.
He further clarified that the reason behind withdrawing the ad campaign was the concern for their employees’ safety. He said that following widespread backlash against the ad campaign, “the situation escalated” at some of the brand’s stores, which created an unsafe environment for their employees.
“The decision to take the video down was made swiftly as the situation around some of our stores escalated, with incidents creating an unsafe environment for our on-ground teams. In that moment, our first responsibility was to ensure the physical safety of our on-ground people and our stores, and I’d never allow them to be harmed,” Aggarwal clarified.
GIVA earlier cited respect for Indian culture as the reason for removing the ad
GIVA had to remove its Raksha Bandhan commercial featuring Kriti Sanon a day after its release as it drew massive criticism. The brand took down the ad, saying that it did not intend to “hurt the sentiments of some segments of society”. The company had stated that it took down the commercial out of respect for Indian culture, traditions, and festivals.
The commercial was released last month on 20th July, featuring Kriti Sanon clad in an off-white bralette-style blouse paired with a cape and a draped skirt. Sanon was seen tying a Rakhi around the wrist of the actor playing her brother in the ad and a dog.
Kriti sanon wearing a bra while tying a rakhi to her brother in a new jewellery Ad by GIVA. You won't see them making fun of either Eid or Christmas. pic.twitter.com/EcSmwyhiNT
— smh (@seemhuh) August 22, 2026
As the ad gained traction, it attracted harsh criticism for the way Sanon was dressed. Several celebrities and public figures, like three-time national award-winning actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, criticised Sanon’s attire in the ad for being inappropriate for the occasion and disrespectful towards the Hindu festival.
Sanon, however, defended her clothing in the ad, saying that the essence of the festival did not lie in the clothes. She added that women should not be told what to wear, turning the outrage to protect the Hindu festival’s sanctity into a debate around ‘feminism’.
While GIVA originally said that it pulled down the controversial Raksha Bandhan ad over ‘inadvertently hurting sentiments’, its founder’s blatant defence of the commercial’s intent has left people questioning if the jewellery brand issued a fake apology.
