Zomato withdraws ‘Mahakal’ thali ad featuring Hrithik Roshan following protests
- The advertisement titled ‘Man Kiya Zomato Kiya’ shows Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan ordering food from ‘Mahakal’ restaurant because he was craving for a ‘thali’
Food delivery firm Zomato faced backlash for an advertisement that starred Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan. The advertisement faced opposition from Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Two priests of the Mahakal temple demanded that Zomato should withdraw the advertisement.
The advertisement titled “Man Kiya Zomato Kiya” shows Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan ordering food from ‘Mahakal’ when he was craving for a ‘thali’ or a flood platter. Herein one must note- Mahakal is a popular local restaurant.
The Mahakal temple or Mahakaleshwar of Lord Shiva in Ujjain is one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' which attracts devotees across the country.
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti took to Twitter calling for boycotting the food delivery firm. They wrote "In an ad, @iHrithik says “Thaali khane ka man tha, Mahakal se mangaa liya"...Mahakal is no servant who delivers food to those who demand it, He is a God who's worshipped. Could @zomato insult a God of another religion with the same courage?"
Zomato later issued a clarification and said that the advertisement is no longer running. They further explained that the ‘Mahakal’ thali advertisement was part of their pan-India campaign of promoting local restaurants. The Gurgaon-based company said, “Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain and thali is a recommended item on its menu”.
The campaign attempts to promote top local restaurants in each city and their top dishes based on popularity.
"The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city. Mahakal restaurant was one of the restaurants chosen for the campaign in Ujjain," the delivery firm said.
“We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone's beliefs and sentiments,” the statement read.
The apology comes after Boycott Zomato started trending on Twitter after two priests of Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple demanded immediate withdrawal of the advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan.
Mahakal temple priests, Mahesh and Ashish told news agency PTI, "Zomato should withdraw the advertisement immediately. Devotees are served prasad on a thali, and the ad hurts the feelings of Hindus. Hence, the company should also apologize for hurting their sentiments."
The priests also approached Ujjain District Collector Ashish Singh, chairman of the Mahakal temple trust, and sought action against the food delivery company so that no one mocks the Hindu religion again in the future, as per PTI reports.
Speaking to reporters, DC Ashish Singh terms the ad as 'misleading', saying that the temple offers free meals as 'prasad' and it is not sold.
Further Madhya Pradesh state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said he has directed police to look into the matter. Prima facie, the advertisement video being circulated on social media seems morphed, Mishra told reporters on Sunday.
To a query, Mishra said, “Prima facie, the advertisement video being circulated on social media seems morphed. I have told Ujjain's Superintendent of Police to look into the reality of the video and report to me so that action can be initiated against the guilty."
Meanwhile, Zomato shares have been in uptrend after hitting its new 52-week low of ₹40.60 apiece on NSE last month. This food platform stock has risen from around ₹46.80 to ₹63.10 apiece levels in August 2022, logging around 35 per cent rise this month. The company management has promised to meet the break even in next four quarters.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaZomato withdraws ‘Mahakal’ thali ad featuring Hrithik Roshan following protests
First Published:21 Aug 2022, 04:37 PM IST
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