Sunny Leone is apparently causing women embarrassment, and one Goa-based organisation – Ranaragini – wants to do something about it. Namely, ban the cause of this embarrassment. Ads for a condom brand Manforce have been placed in Goa’s state buses, which feature Sunny Leone (and occasionally, some random dude). Ranaragini claim that these ads ‘objectify’ women, and cause them embarrassment, and have appealed to the State Commission for Women to remove these ads.
Sunny Leone is many things. A smart, self-assured, astute, beautiful person who knows she can help sell things. A very basic google search shows that Sunny has been endorsing the brand for at least a year, and the TV commercials for the brand are standard for the course: in that they look like any stylised Hindi cinema music video. Some “playful” interaction between the girl and the boy, some hinting, and a cut-away to the product. The specific ads on the buses themselves are – at least to this writer, rather boring. And, rather standard ad-industry layout.
But what Sunny isn’t, is the mythical Sanskaari Bharatiya Naari. Which perhaps is the biggest grouse the group have with the ads. Affiliated to the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti – a right wing organisation, Ranaragini appealed to the Goa Commission for Women to remove the ads. The petition states:
“A different message is conveyed and this is a very ugly scene. We have received complaints about this from many women. We, hereby, kindly request you to remove these pictures.
We would like to bring to your kind notice the use of women’s pictures in contraceptive advertisements at public places. It has been observed that there is use of women’s picture in contraceptive ads at public places like the Kadamba Transport Corporation buses and elsewhere.”
The commission has said they will issue a notice to all parties concerned, in order to investigate this further.
