Zomato apologises over Hrithik Roshan's controversial 'Mahakal thali' ad

After facing flak over their latest advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan, food delivery platform Zomato issued an apology for hurting people's sentiments

Zomato, food delivery, online
Zomato's statement comes after priests and devotees of Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple demanded immediate withdrawal of the particular advertisement in which Hrithik was seen ordering food from 'Mahakal' when he felt like having a 'thali'.
ANI Out of box
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 21 2022 | 9:53 PM IST

After facing flak over their latest advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan, food delivery platform Zomato issued an apology for hurting people's sentiments.

"We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone's beliefs and sentiments," the company said in a Twitter post.

Zomato's statement comes after priests and devotees of Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple demanded immediate withdrawal of the particular advertisement in which Hrithik was seen ordering food from 'Mahakal' when he felt like having a 'thali'.

"Mahakal temple does not deliver any thali. Zomato and Hrithik Roshan must apologize for this ad," said priest Mahesh Sharma.

"The company has made misleading publicity about the Mahakal temple in its advertisement. The company should think before issuing such advertisements," Sharma said, adding that the ad hurt religious sentiments.

Priests' outrage over the advertisement made Zomato apologise for the same.

In its statement, the company said that the ad "referenced 'thalis' at 'Mahakal Restaurant', and not the revered Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple."

"The video is part of a pan-India campaign for which we identified top local restaurants and their top dishes based on popularity in each city. Mahakal restaurant was one of the restaurants chosen for the campaign in Ujjain. We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies for the intent here was never to hurt anyone's beliefs and sentiments," the statement concluded.

The Mahakal temple of Lord Shiva in Ujjain is one of 12 Jyotirlingas.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :ZomatoHrithik Roshan

First Published: Aug 21 2022 | 6:52 PM IST

Next Story