Bindi missing on Kareena Kapoor’s forehead in Malabar Gold and Diamond campaign ad sparks controversy

The absence of bindi on Kareena Kapoor’s forehead in a Malabar Gold and Diamond campaign for Akshaya Tritiya aroused outrage, with some labelling it a “blatant contempt” for tradition. As she joined the brand for their seasonal special collection, the actress was targeted by netizen trolls for not wearing a bindi on her forehead.

Kareena wears an embroidered pink lehenga with a big diamond neckpiece, huge earrings, and a maang tika in the commercial. The absence of a bindi on Kareena’s forehead, however, drew the attention of the internet.

Netizens criticised the brand for promoting a Hindu festival without the proper depiction of a Hindu married woman. They also slammed the brand for portraying a ‘Muslim married woman’ for the launch of a Hindu festival ad. These reasons agitated the netizens on social media with several hashtags such as #BoycottMalabarGold, #BoycottKareenaKapoorKhan, and #NoBindiNoBusiness becoming top trends.

One of the netizens stated, “The same Malabar gold which ran a quiz on #Pakistan Independence Day now runs ads with Kareena Kapoor Khan without bindi for Akshaya Tritiya campaign. What does this show?” while another user wrote, “The general belief is that making female models appear without bindis to sell their products, which they market as specific to the Hindu festivals, is done deliberately to wipe out the symbolic significance of the bindi for a Hindu woman.”