Urdu phrase in fashion ad sparks ire of nationalists

Released just as festival season was kicking off across India, it looked like your average advert for celebratory attire. Models posed, resplendent in red and gold, showing off the newest collection by Fabindia that was said to “pay homage to Indian culture”.

- Hannah Ellis-Petersen

Yet, in a matter of hours, the poster had sent convulsions through India. A boycott was called against Fabindia, a staple brand in the country, and by the end of the day the advert had been taken down after it was deemed offensive to Hinduism by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and right wing Hindu groups.

The vehement objections to the Fabindia advert were in response to the name of the collection, “ n-eRiwaaz”, which means “celebration of tradition” in Urdu. According to BJP figures, rightwing commentators and Hindu groups , the use of Urdu in an advert for a clothes collection associated with Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, was “culturally inappropriate” and offensive to Hinduism.