After the ad was brutally trolled by netizens, a BJP legal advisor sent legal notice to Sabyasachi over the Mangalsutra ad and has sought public apology and ad pull down.
According to Advocate Ashutosh Dubey, the usage of ‘semi-naked’ models for the recent mangalsutra ad campaign was ‘outrageous’ to both Hindu community and Hindu marriage. In his notice, Advocate Dubey mentioned that a mangalsutra is a sacred thread which unites two souls, according to the Hindu customs and traditions.
Earlier, Advocate Ashutosh Dubey had made a buzz when he had sent another notice to lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar for equating RSS to the Taliban.
Background
Fashion designer Sabyasachi has made his name in the past few decades by designing outfits for several films such as English Vinglish, Guzaarish, etc. Further, his name makes the round of entertainment dailies when any popular Indian actor or actresss gets married. He has also been featured at New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, where his work received critical acclaim.
Back home, Sabyasachi has been on the receiving end of a lot of backlashes lately. His Instagram page promoted his new line of jewllery which was donned by models in objectionable position. This led to severe outrage on Twitter and Instagram.
Amid the outrage, a lawyer has sent a legal notice to the fashion designer.
The Facts of the Matter
Mumbai-based advocate Ashutosh Dubey has sent a legal notice to fashion designer and couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The legal notice was sent in the context of Sabyasachi using ‘semi-naked models’ in an ad which showed Mangalsutra. The lawyer has claimed that the ad is “outrageous” to the Hindu community and has sought a pull out of the ad within 15 days.
I have issued a Legal notice to Sabyasachi Mukherjee Indian fashion designer regarding using "semi-naked models for a Mangalsutra collection advertisement as "Mangalsutra" is part of Holy Hindu Marriage.
He outraged the holy Hindu Marriage (Mangalsutra). pic.twitter.com/QPojQtiOKH
— ADV. ASHUTOSH J. DUBEY 🇮🇳 (@AdvAshutoshBJP) October 28, 2021
“Outrageous to Hindu Marriage and Hindu Community”
In the legal notice, sent on October 28, 2021, Advocate Ashutosh Dubey highlighted the social media posts Sabyasachi had shared where a female model can be seen in intimate clothing while the luxury mangalsutra is seen. The notice adds that the woman wearing such clothes and resting her face on a shirtless model’s chest is “outrageous to Hindu marriage and Hindu community”.
Advocate Dubey Explains Mangalsutra’s Meaning
Advocate further highlights the meaning of Mangalsutra in the notice. “The term Mangalsutra is a combination of two words mangal and sutra”, the notice reads. “The word mangal means auspicious and sutra means thread – together mangalsutra means an auspicious thread uniting the souls,” the notice read.
“You are exibiting the ‘mangalsutra’ in an obscene way is outrageous and baseless”, Advocate Dubey alleged in the notice.
Displaying Semi-Naked & Same-Sex Couple Outrageous
The advocate’s notice further added that ‘mangalsutra’ is a symbol of marriage and the wife is meant to wear it all her life indicating the love and commitment for the husband”, and added that “you have displayed semi-naked couple for a Mangalsutra ad which is outraging Hindu Marriage”.
Advocate Dubey also targeted the fact that Sabyasachi used hetrosexual and same-sex couples in the ad. “Your promotional advertisement features hetrosexual and same-sex couples posing for pictures waring the Royal Bengal Mangalsutra. These photos also feature models dressed in intimate apparel wearing mangalsutrawhih is outrageous and it is hurting religious sentiments.
Sabyasachi Given 15 Days to Issue Public Apology and Take Ad Down
The Mumbai-based advocate has called that the ad must be taken down within the next 15 days. He has also further sought a public apology.
