Thursday, November 21, 2024
HomeNews ReportsKotak Mahindra Bank withdraws ad campaign featuring controversial AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat after backlash

Kotak Mahindra Bank withdraws ad campaign featuring controversial AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat after backlash

Tanmay Bhat's group AIB was infamous for making controversial jokes, and it was closed down after one of its members was accused of sexual harassment. Notably, the other members, including Bhat, were aware of the accusations before they were made public, but they decided not to act strictly upon them.

On February 12, Kotak Mahindra Bank’s digital banking handle Kotak811 withdrew the campaign featuring controversial former AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat after it received a backlash on social media. In a tweet, Kotak811 said, “We at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. do not support or endorse the views of actors made in their personal capacity that harm or offend any individual or group. We have withdrawn the campaign.” The ad campaign also featured comedian Samay Raina.

Kotak811 launched the campaign on January 30. Considering Tanmay’s controversial history, the netizens did not take the idea of taking him for the drive. Kotak811 and Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Chairman and Managing Director, Udit Kotak, were called out on social media for using him for the campaign.

Ironically, in the ad, Samay was seen holding a placard saying “No offensive Jokes Tanmay Bhai” with a cancel sign on “No”.

SS from the now-deleted ad.

Actress Kangana Ranaut, who recently got back on Twitter after her account got reinstated, condemned the choice and spoke about the problem of child porn. She said, “Problem with most right-wing ideologists is that they perceive leftists’ choices as their mistakes, please understand Tanmay has been chosen as a brand match for precisely what you are objecting to, child porn is a huge industry, what democrats doing in USA leftists all across.”

She added, “Entire world’s leftists will reflect that, most brands have made it evident what they stand for, latest Balenciaga child porn campaign and shocking rise in child mastectomy in the USA is every right winger’s hell, the question is not what are they doing, the question is what are we doing? Child porn was one of the primary reasons why @elonmusk took over Twitter, this is how right-wingers need to make things happen even at the cost of their own personal/financial good/profit, we need strategies /actions if the system doesn’t support us we need to make it happen individually.”

Cyber Safety Expert and founder of Akancha Against Harassment Akancha Srivastava said, “@udaykotak Sir @KotakBankLtd seriously, you couldn’t find anyone else for your brand endorsement except him?? Are we to understand that he reflects your brand values? He’s been accused of sexual harassment by so many women. Definitely expected better from you.”

Twitter user Monica Verma said, “Hi @KotakBankLtd @udaykotak I am a customer of your bank but the fact that you have hired a Hinduphobic, woman and child abuser Tanmay Bhat for a campaign is making me consider closing my account. Discontinue the association with him and apologise?”

Author Shefali Vaidya said, “Seriously, how can you hire this creepy sociopath and possibly, a closet paedophile Tanmay Bhatt @udaykotak? Is this what you want your bank’s image to be?”

The controversy around Tanmay Bhat and AIB

Bhat, who was a founding member of the controversial comedian group All India Bakchod (AIB), has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons on several occasions. Tanmay Bhat has a history of making derogatory and problematic tweets. He not only insulted legendary singer Late Lata Mangeshkar at one point but also made casual jokes about child sexual exploitation.

His group AIB was infamous for making controversial jokes, and it was closed down after one of its members was accused of sexual harassment. Notably, the other members, including Bhat, were aware of the accusations before they were made public, but they decided not to act strictly upon them.

In a tweet in May 2012, he asked a Twitter user, “How do you know children don’t love rape?”

Now-deleted tweets from Tanmay Bhat. Source: Shefali Vaidya/Twitter

In another tweet, he said, “Feel really weird every time I see naked baby pics of girls. In my head, I go, “Ha ha! I saw your boobs! Ha ha!”

People missed Samay’s joke on abortion

Amid the controversy around Tanmay, it appears people have completely forgotten about the controversial tweet Samay made about abortion, which is still live on the social media platform.

“I tweeted a joke about my girlfriend a day before yesterday after thinking for 30 minutes. She did not like it and made me delete it. Tomorrow, if I ask her to get an abortion, then she should not say my body is my choice,” he wrote.

Join OpIndia's official WhatsApp channel

  Support Us  

Whether NDTV or 'The Wire', they never have to worry about funds. In name of saving democracy, they get money from various sources. We need your support to fight them. Please contribute whatever you can afford

OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
Staff reporter at OpIndia

Related Articles

Trending now

- Advertisement -