Trust Sunny Leone to channelise one’s sexual desires, but doing so through an ad has landed the actress in fresh controversy. A condom billboard ad featuring Sunny Leone promoting safe sex during Navratri has invited the ire of people in Gujarat.
This Dandiya Raas, Manforce’s tagline –“This Navratri, play, but with love” (Aa Navratriye ramo, paraantu prem thi) – stuck out like a sore thumb for the Alok Naths of Gujarat, aka Surat-based Hindu Yuva Vahini and The Confederation Of All India Traders.
CAIT has written to the Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, demanding a ban on the advertisement.
Though they have not used the word condom in their banner but the intention is very clear as the combination of words like ‘play’, ‘love’ and ‘Navratri’ are written above the large logo of Manforce.Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT National Secretary
Yes Mr Khandelwal, the intention is loud, clear and damn good too!
With sexual intimacy comes great responsibility. The brand is promoting safe sex in a country, that’s ranked the 5th most sexually active in the world (source: Insider Monkey), and in a dry state that’s ranked 6th when it comes to sales of sex products. Which, by the way, moves its way to the 3rd rank during the pure and pious festive month of Navratri (Source: Thatspersonal.com). Also, according to media reports the sale of condoms inflates by 25-50 per cent during Garba nights.
Mr Khandelwal even went on to say that, "This is a clear irresponsible and immature attempt to boost sales by putting all our cultural value system at stake".
Errr. You know what’s “irresponsible”? When the former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel “horrifically” said that the number of abortions rise in Gujarat a couple of months after Navratri. How could she? To back Anandiben’s claims, Lakshman Malodiya, director of Ahmedabad AIDS Control Society (AACS) in an interview confessed, “that sexual activity is on the rise during Navratri is no more a secret.”
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So dear virtuous, if sexual activity is a given during Navratri then why are we creating this sexual tension in the state? It’s really difficult to understand WHAT in the billboard ad has hurt the religious sentiments. The fact that a brand talks about SEX or that it features Sunny Leone in a chaniya choli? It just doesn’t fit in! Indian Bhabhi is one of the most searched porn keywords in India (Source: Pornhub). Savita Bhabhi is India’s most popular pornographic cartoon character. So clearly sex is not alien to you. And Sunny Leone was the most-searched person on Google in 2015. Toh problem kya hai?
Anyhow.
Let’s admit that it’s blasphemy to talk about sex in public. But the brand never used the word condom or even showed the product – all it said was “khelo magar pyaar se”. Just like liqour companies that advertise soda and mineral bottles, if adarsh men have no problems with that then why have an issue with this? This is just plain hypocrisy.
So guys, let’s keep the condomania at bay and don’t steal the Navratri spirit. Here’s to condom brands with love and no thanks to religious controversies. Shubh Navratri!
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