Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s ‘racist’ jewellery ad to be withdrawn

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] day after actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan claimed that the image of a jewellery ad featuring her was changed without her prior knowledge, Kalyan Jewellers have decided to withdraw the ‘racist’ print ad from their campaign. Kalyan Jewellers posted on their Facebook page: “The creative was intended to present the royalty, timeless beauty and elegance. However, if we have inadvertently hurt the sentiments of any individual or organisation, we deeply regret the same. We have started the process of withdrawing this creative from our campaign.”
In the ad, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was seen decked in jewels along with a child, dark and emaciated, holding an oversized umbrella over her head. It was brought to notice after a group comprising of a feminist activist, a former chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights among others wrote an open letter to slam the former beauty queen’s print ad for Kalyan Jewllers, which they felt also promoted child labour.
“We wish to convey our dismay at the concept of this advertisement, and that you have, perhaps unthinkingly, associated with such a regressive portrayal of a child to sell a product,” the letter read.
They also asked Aishwarya Rai, who is the National brand ambassador for Kalyan Jewellers, to cease to associate herself with “this offensive image by ensuring that further use of this advertisement is stopped”.