Indian wedding-outfit ad with Bollywood star Alia Bhatt sparks debate on women’s rights
- Ethnic-wear brand Manyavar’s bridal clothing ad questions the practice of kanyadaan – or ‘giving away’ the bride – at weddings
- While some have slammed it as insulting tradition and Hindu religious sentiments, supporters say it is a progressive stance in a country where gender discrimination is rife
The ad for ethnic-wear brand Manyavar casts questions on the centuries-old Hindu ritual of kanyadaan, the practice of the bride’s father “giving away” his daughter to the family she marries into, and also interrogates the concept of paraya dhan, which suggests the bride’s home is with her new family and no longer with her parents.
Dressed in a red-and-gold lehenga, Bhatt, 28, faces the viewer and asks in Hindi: “Am I an object to be separated, turned into a pariah and given away to someone else? Why only kanyadaan? A new idea is to believe in kanyamaan [respecting the bride].” The video ends with the married couple’s families joining hands to symbolise they are on board with Bhatt’s suggestion that bride and groom are equal partners in matrimony.
While the ad has won plaudits from some social media users for its progressive messaging about gender equality, others have slammed it as an insult to tradition and Hindu religious sentiments, sending the hashtag #BoycottManyavar trending.
Bhatt responded to its detractors in a statement saying she was glad to “convey a message that might bring about a positive change in society”.
The controversy reveals the uphill battle women in India face in ending gender discrimination and realising equality, even though this is protected by the constitution.
The country has slipped 28 places from last year to rank 140th among the 156 nations surveyed in this year’s Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum. This lack of gender parity has widened social disadvantages, and is not without economic ramifications – women contribute only 18 per cent to India’s gross domestic product, and the McKinsey Global Institute has estimated that simply giving equal opportunities to women could add US$770 million to the country’s GDP by 2025.
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