Akshay Kumar’s road safety ad slammed online for allegedly promoting dowry

In April 2022, he was criticised online for endorsing Vimal Elaichi.

Actor Akshay Kumar’s new road safety ad has fallen afoul of netizens who’ve accused it of promoting dowry.

6 एयरबैग वाले गाड़ी से सफर कर जिंदगी को सुरक्षित बनाएं।#राष्ट्रीय_सड़क_सुरक्षा_2022#National_Road_Safety_2022 @akshaykumar pic.twitter.com/5DAuahVIxE

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) September 9, 2022

Kumar plays a policeman in the ad and is seen taking a dig at the weeping father of the bride because he sent the newly-married couple in a car with two airbags.

The focus of the ad is on the number of airbags in a car. However, netizens disagreed and claimed the ad promotes dowry because the criminal act is often performed in the disguise of gifts which the bride’s family offers to the groom’s side.

Here are some of the tweets which criticised the ad:

This is such a problematic advertisement. Who passes such creatives? Is the government spending money to promote the safety aspect of a car or promoting the evil& criminal act of dowry through this ad? https://t.co/0QxlQcjFNI

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 11, 2022

Transport minister is promoting a dowry culture from his official Twitter ID? Truly a new India.

— vikit d. jage  (@iVJOmniscient) September 11, 2022

1. Disgusting to see Indian govt officially promoting dowry. What even???

2. Cyrus Mistry died because the road design was faulty. That spot is an accident-prone area.

Amazing way to deflect responsibility by pushing for 6 air bags (& expensive cars) instead of fixing roads. https://t.co/vTiTdkeei2

— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) September 11, 2022

दहेज जुर्म है।

— sunil kumar (@editorsunil) September 9, 2022

In April 2022, the actor created a furore after being seen endorsing Vimal Elaichi, a brand of edible cardamom seeds, whose parent company is known for selling ‘toxic’ (unhealthy) pan masala.