9 months after backlash, Mysore Sandal Soap launches first print ad thanking Tamannaah Bhatia

Today’s Times of India came printed with a full-page ad for Mysore Sandal Soap by KSDL (Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited) featuring actor Tamannaah Bhatia.

The message? The brand now has a refreshed identity, but also that Tamannaah Bhatia is starting her two-year association with the 108-year-old soap brand. 

“We are proud and honoured to present to you the pride of Karnataka, a soap that holds the heritage of a 108-year-old story, in a new, royal look. An icon that's been loved for generations is moving forward while still carrying the legacy fragrance and the goodness of natural sandalwood oil,” read the ad. 

While the first part of the ad was a run-of-the-mill announcement, it’s the second part that has drawn our attention:

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Tamannaah Bhatia, who has graciously accepted to be the face of the brand, as it enters its next glorious chapter.”

In a departure from the industry norm where ambassadors express gratitude to brands, KSDL has adopted a humble tone, dedicating significant print real estate to thank their new face for ushering in the brand’s next chapter.

Is this institutional humility, positioning the 108-year-old brand as the one honoured by the association or a reaction to the controversy that dominated screens when Tamannaah Bhatia, an actor from Mumbai, Maharashtra, was signed to represent, arguably, the most popular soap brand from South India?

State-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) was called into question for its decision to appoint a non-Kannada actress as the face of a brand closely tied to the state’s cultural heritage, back in May 2025. 

Responding to the backlash, Minister for Commerce & Industries M.B. Patil had back then hinted that Tamannaah Bhatia’s appointment was part of a broader strategy to aggressively expand Mysore Sandal Soap’s presence beyond Karnataka, aimed at positioning the brand on a national and potentially global stage.

After the backlash, this is the first brand communication featuring the actor. 

A legacy spanning over a century, now stepping boldly into the future with a clear vision!

Founded on the foresight of the great visionary Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) is entering a transformative new phase.

Karnataka's… pic.twitter.com/AhZHfSy0LL

— M B Patil (@MBPatil) February 10, 2026

Now, the official announcement of the refreshed identity also came from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Minister Patil. “Karnataka's iconic Mysore Sandal Soap gets a refreshed identity, with an ambitious plan to expand its presence across North India. Renowned actress Tamannaah Bhatia joins as the brand ambassador to amplify this journey,” read the post without mincing words. 

In the same post, Patil also noted that KSDL will focus on digital marketing, export expansion, and innovation, aiming for a Rs 5,000 crore turnover by 2030.

For those unfamiliar, Mysore Sandal Soap is a heritage brand manufactured by Karnataka Soaps & Detergents (KSDL), a government-run enterprise established in 1916. The soap factory was originally set up in Bengaluru by King Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV in the early 1900s. Over the decades, the brand has come to hold deep cultural and emotional significance in Karnataka.