Hrithik Roshan, Zomato invite wrath for 'offensive' advertisement hurting Hindus
For the second time this month, actor Hrithik Roshan has found himself clasped in a controversy. Roshan, who recently starred in a Zomato advertisement, has been accused of hurting Hindus' sentiments. In the said ad, Roshan "orders food from Mahakaal temple," a sacred place of worship in Ujjain. Now, the temple authorities have demanded an apology and asked Zomato to roll back the ad.
Why does this story matter?
Roshan was recently at trolls' target for promoting Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha, a film heavily marred by boycott trends. Soon after, netizens took to Twitter raising a clarion call to boycott his upcoming film Vikram Vedha, which is due for release in September. Moreover, Zomato, too, is no stranger to controversies and has been accused of hurting religious sentiments previously as well.
In clip, Roshan seemingly ordered food from the Mahakaal temple
Roshan was seen sitting in a bunker-like facility, surrounded by several gun-wielding men in the ad. When a Zomato delivery executive shows up, the goons ask, "Who ordered this?" To which, Roshan replies, "Thaali khaane ka mann tha, Ujjain me hain, Mahakaal se manga liya (I was craving a platter; since we're in Ujjain, I ordered it from Mahakaal)." This video led to mayhem.
Watch the 'controversial' clip here
Why is the Mahakaal temple considered so sacred?
Per Hindu beliefs, the Mahakaal/Mahakaleshwar temple, built in devotion to Lord Shiva, is one of the 12 jyotirlingas located in India and is considered one of his sacred abodes. The Bhasma-aarti of the revered pilgrimage site draws millions of devotees each year.
Temple authorities demanded apology; district collector termed ad 'misleading'
Two priests from the holy temple, Ashish and Mahesh have reportedly demanded a timely apology and removal of the ad. Since thaali is used to serve prasad, the ad hurt Hindus, claimed the priests. They have also reached out to Ashish Singh, the Mahakaal temple trust's chairman and Ujjain's district collector, and demanded strict action. Singh has also labeled the ad as "misleading."
Netizens weren't pleased, raised boycott calls
Twitter is now teeming with uproar against Roshan and Zomato, and several netizens have decided to give Roshan's films a complete miss. One such enraged Twitter user wrote, "Zomato and Hrithik Roshan are testing the patience of Hindus," while another one chimed in, "Zomato, which serves non-veg, wants to run its business by ironing the Prasad Thali of the holy Mahakal temple of Hindus."
Zomato shared its side of the story, too
After the #BoycottZomato Twitter trend, the food delivery company stepped forward to do damage control. In response to a tweet on Saturday evening, the company wrote, "The Hrithik Roshan-starrer ad that ran in specific pin codes of Ujjain referenced thalis at Mahakal Restaurant and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple." The company also said that the video is part of a "pan-India campaign."
