Food delivery app Zomato issued an apology after backlash over an advertisement, starring Hrithik Roshan that allegedly offended Hindu sentiments. Zomato also withdrew their ad on the theme ‘Mahakal ki Thali’.
In the ad, Hrithik says, “I have made up my mind for a plate. If you are in Ujjain, you have asked for it from Mahakal.” This provoked priests of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple.
“Mahakaal is a god whom we worship. Mahakaal is not a servant and doesn’t deliver food. The company has made misleading publicity about the Mahakal temple in its advertisement. Hindu society is tolerant, it is never violent,” they had said, according to Indian Express.
The Hindu Jagrati Manch also urged people to boycott Zomato.
Zomato in an apology statement said, “the video is part of its pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city.”
The company also emphasised that the ad “referenced ‘thalis’ at ‘Mahakal Restaurant’, and not the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.”
“We wholeheartedly respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain. This ad has been disabled. It was not our intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments and we sincerely apologise for the same,” reads the statement.
