Brands
Zomato buckles to boycott trend, apologises & withdraws Hrithik ad
Mumbai: Taking offence seems to be the order of the day. So is calling out ads, movies, and what-have-yous for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. Zomato, the latest victim of the “boycott culture” pervading the country, apologised even as it withdrew its advert starring Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan amid a controversy surrounding the ad that threatened to blow up.
The alleged ‘crime’ this time around was the use of the word ‘Mahakal’ in the online food aggregator’s advert. After two priests from Ujjain’s Mahakal temple demanded an apology from the brand for “offending Hindu sentiments”, an MP minister too joined the fray on Sunday. State home minister Narottam Mishra directed police to investigate the matter so that action can be initiated against the “guilty.”
In a bid to quell the matter, Zomato issued a statement on Sunday, clarifying its stand. It wrote: “We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain, and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone’s beliefs and sentiments.”
The creative in question that caused the latest controversy has Hrithik mouthing the dialogue, “Thali ka mann kia, Ujjain mein hai, toh Mahakal se manga Lia (Felt like having a Thali. We’re in Ujjain, so we ordered from Mahakal.”
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 brand further clarified in its statement, adding, “Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high-order-volume restaurant partners in Ujjain, and ‘thali’ is a recommended item on its menu.”
According to reports, the priests said Mahakal Temple does not deliver any thali. Devotees are served prasad in the thali at a section of the temple, but there is no provision to deliver these thalis on demand, they asserted, demanding an apology from both the brand as well as the actor for hurting religious sentiments.
This sparked an online boycott campaign against the Foodtech app, with the hashtag #Boycott_Zomato trending on Twitter over the weekend.
The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which Zomato identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city. The ad uses location data to personalise and localise these ads. Mahakal Restaurant (simplified as ‘Mahakal’ in the video) was one of the restaurants chosen for the campaign in Ujjain, stated the brand even as it pulled the ads off air.
Brands
ITC Sunfeast Farmlite launches Sugar Free Cookies range
New variants offer guilt-free indulgence for health-conscious snackers.
MUMBAI: ITC Sunfeast Farmlite is sweetening the deal for biscuit lovers who want to have their cookie and eat it too without the sugar. The better-for-you biscuits range from ITC Foods has expanded its portfolio with the launch of an all-new Sugar Free Cookies line, aligning with the company’s vision of ‘Help India Eat Better’. The range is designed for consumers who are rethinking sugar in their daily snacking but refuse to compromise on taste and indulgence.
The collection debuts with two tempting variants: Choco Nut Cookies and Hazelnut & Oats Cookies. Both are a source of protein and contain no trans-fat, while the Hazelnut & Oats variant is also lactose-free.
ITC Ltd. vice president (marketing), biscuits, foods division, Suraj Kathuria said, “At Sunfeast Farmlite, we believe mindful snacking should never come at the cost of indulgence. With this launch, we are catering to the growing need for guilt-free snacking while delivering a rich, satisfying cookie experience.”
ITC Ltd. vice president & head of food sciences for foods division Dr Shantanu Das added, “We have applied robust food science to develop cookies that are sugar-free while preserving the taste and texture consumers love.”
Each cookie comes in convenient single-serve packs to maintain texture and freshness. Both variants are available in 100g packs priced at ₹100 and can be found on quick-commerce platforms including Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto.
In a market increasingly leaning towards healthier choices, ITC Sunfeast Farmlite’s new Sugar Free Cookies prove that cutting sugar doesn’t mean cutting joy. For the health-conscious yet indulgent snacker, this could be the perfect bite-sized solution.
