Zomato’s latest advertising campaign, titled ‘Kachra’, has received significant backlash from internet users for its insensitivity. The advertisement, aimed at promoting waste recycling, faced a barrage of online criticism for equating the term ‘kachra’ (meaning waste) with the marginalized character named ‘Kachra’ from the Bollywood film Lagaan.
The ad featured Aditya Lakhia’s character ‘Kachra’ from Lagaan.
In response to the widespread criticism and allegations of promoting casteism, the online food delivery platform took swift action and decided to withdraw the advertisement.
The primary goal of the campaign was to highlight the company’s commitment to the environment through the implementation of plastic-neutral deliveries. The campaign depicted the actor in various situations, representing the concept of recycling. These scenarios included showcasing a hand towel made from recycled materials, a flower pot crafted from similar substances, and the use of paper products.
The campaign’s intention was to demonstrate the company’s dedication to environmental contribution by adopting plastic-neutral deliveries. It achieved this by portraying the actor in numerous scenarios that symbolized recycling. Examples included showcasing a reused hand towel, a flower pot made from similar materials, and the utilization of paper products.
The inclusion of the character in the advertising campaign had a specific intention: to bring attention to the issue of food wastage and raise awareness about the struggles faced by marginalized communities in society.
In response to the mounting criticism, Zomato made the decision to remove the campaign video from its YouTube channel.
Neeraj Ghaywan, the Director of the film Masaan said, “#Kachra from #Lagaan was one of the most dehumanised voiceless depictions of Dalits ever in cinema. @zomato has used the same character and made a repulsive #casteist commercial. A human stool? Are you serious? Extremely insensitive!”
Madhureeta Anand, Film Director, tweeted, “That is just so offensive. One has to wonder who these people are who created the advert, approved it and put it online without once thinking about it.”
Another one responded on twitter, “The only kachra (garbage) that this stinks of is privilege.”