Tamannaah Bhatia Faces Backlash For Being Brand Ambassador Of KSDL, Actor Ramya Questions Move
26 May 2025 9:38 PM IST26 May 2025 9:38 PM IST
The decision sparked backlash, with many questioning why a local Kannada star wasn’t chosen for the role instead.
Actor Ramya aka Divya Spandana and Tamannnaah Bhatia in the frame (Photo by arrangement)
Recently, Tamannaah Bhatia signed a Rs 6.2 crore contract with the Karnataka government to serve as the brand ambassador for Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), backed by Mysore Sandal Soap, for a duration of two years.
However, the decision sparked backlash, with many questioning why a local Kannada star wasn’t chosen for the role instead.
Karnataka’s Minister for Commerce, Industries, and Infrastructure, M.B. Patil, defended the move, stating that Bhatia was selected to help expand the brand’s reach beyond Karnataka.
Amid ongoing conversations around Kannada pride, actor Ramya (also known as Divya Spandana) publicly criticized the timing of appointing a "non-Kannadiga" as brand ambassador. Sharing her views across social media, she wrote, "Appreciate the intent to revive KSDL but the execution seems like an eyewash. Even from a business point of view, especially when the company is dwindling, Mysore sandal soap is iconic and carries a huge legacy. It doesn't need a brand ambassador (Amul, Apple, Dove, Amazon)."
“By taking a non-kannadiga as a brand ambassador to target the consumer market in the north they have alienated its own people, its core loyal consumer base- the kannadiga. It fails us especially at a time when we’re fighting to retain our Kannada pride,” She then added referring to ‘alienated’ Kannadigas."Women have fought for centuries from voting rights to unrealistic beauty standards on runways to skincare to equal pay - and here we’re still being told fair skin is aspirational. Mysore sandal soap’s strength lies in its relatability - Clearly the ones involved are so out of touch," she added while stressing on the obsession of fair skin after tamannaah got appointed.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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