Kriti Sanon Defends Modern Rakhi Campaign After Kangana Ranaut Criticises Its Styling

Kriti Sanon has responded to criticism surrounding her appearance in GIVA’s Raksha Bandhan campaign, arguing that a woman’s respect for culture cannot be measured by the neckline of her outfit.

The jewellery advertisement shows Kriti celebrating the festival in an ivory Indo-Western ensemble comprising a bralette-style blouse, cape and draped skirt. It also expands the campaign’s idea of sibling protection by showing her tying rakhis to her sister and a pet dog.

A section of social-media users objected to the styling, describing it as unsuitable for a festival centred on the bond between brothers and sisters. Others questioned the inclusion of the dog and the campaign’s departure from elements such as a puja thali and tilak.

The debate received greater attention after actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the advertisement’s styling through an Instagram Story. Kriti subsequently issued her own statement explaining both the campaign’s message and her objection to women’s clothing being treated as a measure of cultural respect.

Kriti Sanon Explains the Campaign’s Raksha Bandhan Message

In her Instagram Story, Kriti said the essence of a festival lies in the emotion and meaning attached to its traditions rather than in a person’s clothing.

“Rakshabandhan is a bond of protection,” she wrote, before explaining that she and her sister, Nupur Sanon, tie rakhis to each other.

“We know we can protect each other no less than a brother would have. 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!”

Her explanation addresses a part of the controversy that was sometimes overshadowed by the conversation about her outfit. The campaign is not presenting protection as a responsibility belonging exclusively to a brother. It extends the ritual to a relationship between two sisters and, more playfully, to a family pet.

Whether viewers agree with that interpretation is a matter of opinion. What is clear from Kriti’s statement is that the dog was included as part of the campaign’s wider definition of family not as a replacement for a brother.

‘When Will We Stop Telling Women What to Wear?’

Kriti then addressed the criticism directed at her clothing.

“Also, when will we stop telling women what to wear?” she asked. “Ethnic fashion has evolved over the years, but still a woman’s respect for her culture is measured with just her clothes.”

She concluded: “Culture & traditions are in her heart, not in her neckline!”

The statement shifts the discussion from whether one particular outfit suited a Raksha Bandhan advertisement to a broader question: why women are so frequently expected to demonstrate cultural values through their appearance.

Kriti did not name Kangana in her response. It would therefore be more accurate to describe her post as an answer to the wider criticism surrounding the campaign rather than a direct personal attack on the actor-politician.

What Kangana Ranaut Said About the Advertisement

Kangana had earlier posted a note questioning why anyone would tie a rakhi while wearing what she described as a “bikini/undergarments.”

She began by acknowledging the range of clothing available to modern women, referring to cocktail dresses, lehengas, jeans, saris, bikinis and salwar kameez. She then asked why someone would select such an outfit for a Raksha Bandhan celebration and called the advertisement “intentionally creepy.”

Although Kangana did not name Kriti in the text of her post, its subject and timing made the reference clear. Her objection was directed at the styling and its placement within a sibling-focused festive campaign.

The clothing shown in the advertisement is an Indo-Western festive ensemble. Describing it as a bikini or undergarment reflects Kangana’s interpretation; it is not the terminology used by the brand.

Two Different Questions Became One Online Controversy

Discussion around the advertisement has combined two separate objections.

The first concerns representation: whether a commercial built around a traditional festival should include more conventionally recognisable rituals and clothing. Viewers are free to assess whether the creative choices communicate the occasion effectively.

The second concerns personal morality: whether the amount of skin visible in a woman’s outfit determines her respect for her brother, family or culture. Kriti’s response challenges this link directly.

Keeping those issues separate makes the debate more meaningful. Advertising can reasonably be criticised for unclear storytelling, weak cultural detail or styling that distracts from the product. That does not automatically justify treating the female performer’s body as evidence of disrespect.

Kriti was also not solely responsible for the visual decisions. A commercial campaign involves a brand, agency, director, costume team and other creative professionals. Directing the entire moral debate at the actor ignores how advertising is actually produced.

Has GIVA Removed or Apologised for the Campaign?

No public apology or withdrawal announcement from GIVA was identified at the time of writing. The campaign remained visible through the jewellery brand’s official social-media presence.

Kriti’s response defends the campaign’s emotional premise rather than distancing herself from it. She has also not apologised for the clothing shown in the advertisement.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The stronger point in Kriti’s response is not simply “women can wear what they want.” It is her effort to separate tradition from a fixed gender role.

By explaining that she and Nupur tie rakhis to each other, Kriti reframes protection as a mutual promise rather than something a brother alone offers his sister. Including their dogs takes that interpretation into lighter, brand-friendly territory, but its underlying idea remains consistent: family bonds can be expressed in more than one form.

The advertisement can still be evaluated as a piece of festive marketing. Some viewers may find its modern styling effective, while others may consider it disconnected from their experience of Raksha Bandhan. However, criticism of a creative campaign and policing a woman’s body are not the same thing.

That distinction is what Kriti’s statement places at the centre of the conversation.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared using GIVA’s publicly available Raksha Bandhan campaign, Kriti Sanon’s Instagram Story responding to the criticism and Kangana Ranaut’s Instagram Story discussing the advertisement’s styling. Because Stories are temporary, their wording was cross-checked against screenshots and reporting from multiple established publications. Individual social-media comments were treated as examples of criticism not proof of a unanimous public reaction.