Kotak Mahindra Bank withdraws ad featuring Tanmay Bhat after his tweets on child rape, Lord Ganesha resurface

Content creators Tanmay Bhat and Samay Raina were featured in the three-ad campaign for Kotak's digital bank with the slogan Samay Ko Sahi Kaam Pe Lagao.

12:10 PM Feb 14, 2023 IST | APN Live

kotak mahindra bank withdraws ad featuring tanmay bhat after his tweets on child rape lord ganesha resurface

On Sunday, Kotak Mahindra Bank withdrew its 811 campaign featuring comedian Tanmay Bhatt after his decade-old tweets about child rape and Lord Ganesha resurfaced online. Content creators Tanmay Bhat and Samay Raina were featured in the three-ad campaign for Kotak’s digital bank with the slogan Samay Ko Sahi Kaam Pe Lagao.

Kotak Bank withdrew its ad after receiving flak from users on Twitter. One of the users wrote that he would close the account in Kotak bank if they don’t discontinue the association with Tanmay Bhatt.

Another tagged Kotak’s CEO Uday Kotak and criticized him for endorsing the brand with Tanmay. She also questioned the brand values of the company. He’s been accused of sexual harassment by so many women. Definitely expected better from you, she added.

Tanmay also joked about Lord Ganesha and accused him of spreading hatred for Hindu Gods.

Dear @udaykotak do you agree with Hindu hater Tanmay Bhatt’s description of Shri Ganesh Murti? Do your customers agree? @KotakBankLtd pic.twitter.com/WG0qxtDTm2
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— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) February 11, 2023

Following this, Kotak withdrew its ad and wrote, 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 We have withdrawn the campaign.

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 We have withdrawn the campaign.
— Kotak 811 (@kotak811) February 12, 2023

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut also took to Twitter to criticize the bank for choosing Tanmay Bhat as the face of their digital campaign. In a tweet, she tagged Bhat as a right-wing ideologist and said they perceive leftists choices as their mistakes. She further highlighted that the bank chose the comedian as a brand match for precisely what is being objected in the ad.

Have a look at Kangana Ranaut’s tweet:

Is left leaning,aaya samjh? However when we got independence Congress had two sides.Right wing congress (all your Sardar Vallabhai and Shastri ji belonged to that side)and Left Wing ( Nehru and Gandhi and all) belong to left side of congress.. anyway us keliye Emergency dekhna 🙂
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 13, 2023

.@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 🤢 pic.twitter.com/3ihJRD4KPI
— Akancha Srivastava (@AkanchaS) February 11, 2023

Tanmay Bhat has also faced serious accusations during the 2018 Me Too movement for sexually harassing his employee at All India Backchod (AIB). Due to allegations of inaction against sexual harassment, the comedian was also asked to leave from Comicstaan season 2 on November 14, 2018.

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