Kriti Sanon’s latest advertisement for a jewellery brand, which was pulled down after social media backlash, has created quite a furore. Kangana Ranaut had previously called the advertisement “intentionally creepy” and now, she has said that the objection was not just over Kriti’s outfit, but about the overall presentation of the festival in the advertisement. In a chat with Doordarshan, Kangana said that Kriti’s bralette was not even the major talking point, as she was largely upset over how the presentation of the Raksha Bandhan festival did not show any pictures of gods, or any other rituals like teeka or dhoop. In the advertisement, Kriti was wearing an ivory bralette-style blouse with a matching cape and a long skirt.‘Who is stopping Kriti from wearing what she wants?’When Kangana was asked what she thought about Kriti’s statement of questioning women’s clothing, she said, “The kind of films we see her in… Who is stopping her from wearing whatever she wants? Who has ever stopped her? I don’t think anyone has bothered about her clothes. How can someone’s thoughts be that silly?”ALSO READ | ‘Zero organic defenders’: Yash’s Toxic faces backlash as BookMyShow rating disappearsKangana then explained, “Any civilisation’s aesthetic expression is festivals.” She added that a festival like Raksha Bandhan is a “religious expression of a civilisation. It has proper rules, like a puja has rules. The same way Raksha Bandhan has those rules too.”‘Her bralette is not even the main thing’Kangana was then asked about the advertisement being pulled down and if that was because of her, and she said, “I think everyone was shocked and appalled. I think the bralette was not even the major point there… But where were the parents? Where is the halwa and poori and pictures of gods and teeka, dhoop, deep? Nothing was there.”She then insisted that such expression of customs is being normalised and “it won’t work.” “Rakhi won’t work without a teeka. You say aesthetics don’t matter? No, a festival is an aesthetic expression of a culture and civilisation. Otherwise, why would you have a festival?”About the Krtiti Sanon ad controversyKriti Sanon’s advertisement for jewellery brand GIVA, where she is also a strategic investor, went live a few days ago and showed Kriti tying a rakhi to her on-screen brother and her pet. The advertisement was launched as a Rakhi special but soon enough, many netizens objected to Kriti’s clothing in the advertisement.Story continues below this ad Kriti Sanon ad pulled down by brand.Kangana also took to Instagram, and without naming Kriti or the brand, she criticised the advertisement and called it “intentionally creepy”. She shared, “It is a wonderful time to be a woman, our closets are full of variety of clothes, today’s woman is a global woman, from cocktail dresses to lehenga cholis, jeans to saris, bikinis to salwar kameez. From all the options that are available to us today why would you tie your brother a Rakhi in your bikini/under garments? Where are all your styling options? Ha ha the advert looks intentionally creepy.”Kriti’s response to the backlashOn Tuesday, Kriti also responded to the backlash and questioned why women were being told what to wear. She wrote, “The essence of festivals is not in the clothes you wear, it is in the emotions and meaning you hold for the traditions. Rakshabandhan is a bond of protection. My sister and I tie rakhi to each other. We know we can protect each other no less than a brother would have.”Kriti added, “We pray for each other’s health, happiness & long life. And for us, this prayer and promise extends to our dogs too! After all, they are family! Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?? Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman’s respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes!! Culture & Traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”ALSO READ | Inside Karan Johar’s Traitors wardrobe: Blood all over, crow trench, roses on blackStory continues below this adJewellery brand pulls down the advertisementOn Wednesday, jewellery brand GIVA pulled down the advertisement and issued a statement saying they did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments. The shared on social media, “We have the highest regard and deep respect for Indian culture, traditions and festivals. As a brand, we have always believed in celebrating these joyous moments with the entire family and this time we wanted to extend the love and celebration to our pets. If our recent advertisement has inadvertently hurt the sentiments of some segments of society, that was not our intent at all. Out of respect, we have withdrawn the said advertisement from all media. Wish you all the love & positivity this festive season!”