Inappropriate: Hema Malini distances herself from controversial Kent ad

Inappropriate: Hema Malini distances herself from controversial Kent ad
28 May 2020

After a contentious advertisement by healthcare appliances company Kent RO sparked massive outrage, its brand ambassador, actor and BJP MP Hema Malini distanced herself from the promo and dubbed it as "inappropriate".

Kent chairperson Mahesh Gupta has also issued a public apology in this regard.

The advertisement in question was called out for discriminating against domestic helps.

Here's more on this.

The ad depicted domestic helps as carriers of infection
Context

The advertisement, featuring Hema and her daughter Esha Deol, portrayed domestic helps in a poor light and labeled them as carriers of infection.

"Are you allowing your maid to knead atta dough by hand? Her hands may be infected," read an excerpt from the ad, thereby making a reference to the contagious novel coronavirus.

The ad was later taken down by Kent.

The ad does not resonate with my values, Hema said
Details

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Hema clarified that "views expressed by the recent advertisement of Kent Atta do not resonate with my values."

"The Chairman has already tendered a public apology for the mistake. I hereby wish to put on record that I respect and stand by all sections of society," the 71-year-old MP from Mathura added.

We support and respect all sections of society: Kent
Statement

Previously, in a statement, the company's chairperson and managing director Mahesh Gupta said that the advertisement was "unintentional, badly communicated and wrong".

"We are extremely sorry for this incident and want to apologize to everyone, especially to the people whose sentiments were hurt," the statement further read.

"We support and respect all sections of the society," it concluded.

Domestic helps are hit hard by the pandemic
Fact

The advertisement, which maligns the image of house helps, comes at a time when the novel coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown restrictions have left countless domestic helps across the country jobless. They are already struggling to find work and earn enough to fill their stomachs.