While Kashmiris are stuffing essentials and buying thermals — among them the now common thermal innerwear, known as thermocot (actually a brand) in local parlance — for the upcoming winter, a leading Indian hosiery brand has courted controversy by what critics say portraying Kashmiris as thieves.
Dollar Bigboss, a brand by Kolkata-based Dollar Industries Limited, has this latest video advertisement featuring Bollywood actor and television host Manish Paul.
In the ad, filmed in the famous Nishat garden, while the actor poses for a selfie with her girlfriend, a Kashmiri man approaches from behind and snatches some clothes the actor carries on his shoulder.
Happy to share with you all my latest campaign of Dollar Thermals… @DollarBigboss directed by @nonu_chidiya
— Maniesh Paul (@ManishPaul03) November 20, 2020
Dollar Ultra hai na, toh kuch extra nai chahiye…
Dollar Ultra Thermals is all set to keep you warm #dilse
Tune into watch the latest TVC of Dollar Ultra Thermals pic.twitter.com/eAUnvT8AwT
When the actor chases the man through a Chinar garden and finally catches him on a ghat at the banks of Dal Lake, while the latter stutters and staggers towards the actor with fear, offering the snatched clothes back, the actor smiles and asks him to keep them and takes off more clothes to shove into his shivering hands, charitably.
Even the actor’s girlfriend in the video pushes some clothes into the poor man’s hands saying, “Ye ghar waalon keliye (This for your family), in an insulting tone.
When the man, caught by surprise due to the actor’s supposed generosity, asks the actor how he will save himself from cold — the weather the ad has been filmed in — after giving away his clothes, the actor holds the neck of his top made by the brand, showing it off, saying, “Arre Dollar Ultra hai na, kuch extra nahi chaahiye” (I’ve got this brand. I don’t need anything more).
Soon after the ad was noticed by Kashmiri netizens on Facebook and Twitter, many of them were angered, arguing that it portrays Kashmiris as thieves.
Several netizens demanded that the ad be pulled down for depicting Kashmiris in a bad light.
Some social media users rebutted the ad with links to articles and surveys showing Kashmir a place with zero crime records against tourists and Kashmiris as better-off than Indians.
“I totally oppose this ad. You are degrading the image of Kashmir,” a user commented on the ad on the brand’s Facebook page.
“This is unacceptable. Kashmir is the only state with zero crime rate against tourists and you guys are portraying us as thieves. Delete this ad and apologize to whole Kashmir,” reacted a user on Twitter.
This is unacceptable. Kashmir is the only state with zero crime rate against tourists and you guys are portraying us as thieves. Delete this ad and apologize to whole Kashmir @DollarBigboss.#BoycottDollarBigboss https://t.co/PMFNZR5auH
— Ahmer (@KatarKoshur) November 22, 2020
“This is an attack on our hospitality,” the user wrote in another tweet, tagging J&K Tourism’s Twitter account to ask why it has not taken note of the ad. He even called for a boycott of the brand.
This is an attack on our hospitality. Are you guys sleeping? @JandKTourism #BoycottDollarBigboss https://t.co/PMFNZRmLmf
— Ahmer (@KatarKoshur) November 22, 2020
“Don’t enact anything for few bucks, Mr Manish Paul. Kashmir is well known for warm hospitality. Get your facts corrected!,” wrote Faysal Mir.
Don't enact anything for few bucks, Mr Manish Paul.
— Faysal Mir 🍁 (@FaissalFarooq) November 22, 2020
Kashmir is well known for warm hospitality. Get your facts corrected!
“Kindly don’t demean Kashmir & Kashmiris. We Kashmiris are feeding more than 3 lakh Indian beggars. Please delete this ASAP,” wrote Younis Bashir.
“Dear Paul. We Kashmiris provide millions of poor Indians, Biharis free food, clothes, homes. Stop these nonsense ads. We aren’t thieves. Check facts. 10 lakh Biharis are living on Kashmiri resources,” wrote Syed Adil.
Dear paul
— S'yed A'dil سید عادل📿 (@SyedAdil101) November 22, 2020
. We kashmiri provide millions of poor Indians, bahirs free food cloths homes. Stop this nonsense ad's. We aren't thieves. Check facts. 10 lakh bahirs are living on kashmiris resources. Stop this baseless.
“An ignorant citizen of Apartheid nation showcasing Kashmiris as snatchers forgetting that we Kashmiris pay sustenance not only to nearly 1 million Indian Army soldiers but lakhs of poor people, from Bihar & other parts of India. These thermal ads won’t whitewash war crimes,” wrote another user.
An ignorant citizen of Apartheid nation showcasing #Kashmiris as snatchers forgetting that we Kashmiris pay sustenance not only to nearly 1 million Indian Army soldiers but lakhs of poor people, from Bihar & other parts of India. These thermal ads won't whitewash war crimes.
— MundaKoshur (@MundaKoshur) November 22, 2020
“This is not an ad, this is bigotry,” wrote Junaid Masoodi.
This is not an Ad, This is bigotry. https://t.co/DUiMHAopD7
— Junaid Masoodi (He/Him) (@junaidmasudi) November 22, 2020
“This ad portrays Kashmiris as thieves. Kashmir has the lowest crime rate toward tourists and is comparable to European countries in terms of safety,” former JNU student leader Shehla Rashid wrote.
.@DollarBigboss @ManishPaul03 this ad portrays Kashmiris as thieves. Kashmir has the lowest crime rate toward tourists and is comparable to European countries in terms of safety.
— Shehla Rashid (@Shehla_Rashid) November 22, 2020
Also, we have our own thermals brand 'Ooshin'
Thanks @drmalikadil for flagging this tone-deaf ad. https://t.co/x86sTTFwSZ
“Do they even understand the meaning of cultural sensitivity? Is this some kind of political messaging? Of the good, big hearted-civilized empire being kind to the brute natives & for what, a damn thermal!!!,” wrote one Hakeem Sameer Hamdani.
Do they even understand the meaning of Cultural Sensitivity…. Is this some kind of a political messaging? Of the good, big hearted-civilized empire being kind to the brute natives & for what, a damn thermal!!! https://t.co/Tu8lWzidbV
— Hakim Sameer Hamdani (@HamdaniSameer) November 22, 2020
“Might come as a surprise to you, but we have seen a surge of theft cases in Kashmir, and the culprits have been seen to be mostly from mainland India,” wrote another user. “So you showing Kashmiris as thieves is a self-goal.”
Might come as a surprise to you, but we have seen a surge of theft cases in Kashmir, and the culprits have been seen to be mostly from mainland india.
— T (@ShadowandScreen) November 22, 2020
So you showing kashmiris as thieves, is a self goal.
😄😄😄 https://t.co/MQgDVupsql
“Didn’t expect it from you, Manish Paul. You are putting Kashmiris in a bad light here and creating tension for tourists where there’s zero crime rate against them. You were my favourite anchor at a time, sorry ya, bye,” another user reacted.
Didn't expect it from you @ManishPaul03, you are putting Kashmiri's in a bad light here and creating tension for the tourist where there's zero crime rate against tourist. You were my favourite anchor at a time, sorry ya, bye. https://t.co/lF9CQ5tiaW
— 🌻 (@intothenoor) November 22, 2020
“Hatred for Kashmiris is in their genes & thus unites all these first-class idiots (Bollywood lunatics & Godi-Media scums) under one roof to defame us. Kashmir provides bread and butter to thousands of your friends in Bollywood and lakhs of Indian locals. Take it down,” wrote another user.
Hatred for Kashmiris is in their genes & thus unites all these first class idiots (bollywood lunatics & Godii-Media scums) under one roof to defame us. Kashmir provides bread & butter to thousands of your friends in bollywood & lakhs of Indian locals. Take it down @ManishPaul03! https://t.co/dYESq9es2K
— #OurMartyrsOurPride #NotOurSingers (@KhaakeFaqeer) November 22, 2020
What you do is who you are..you have a rogue mindset doesn't mean everyone is a cheat..btw we Kashmiris don't give a fuck about your thinking towards us. Hell with you and your brands we have our own….
— Sheikh Owais شیخ اویس (@owaismohamad) November 22, 2020
After portraying #Kashmir’is as terrorists all these years, now these Indian bigots & their brands are portraying Kashmiris as thieves.
— Red Jhelum (@imuzafarqadir) November 22, 2020
Kashmir has the lowest crime rate against tourists in the world
Kashmiri’s should #BoycottDollar or any brand which shows Kashmir in bad light https://t.co/rnRUtHtBMb
First they used to potray us as terrorists and now as thieves.we are ok with the former one.@DollarBigboss take this ad down,nahi to fir ye chadi banyan UP Bihar me bejnay padengai.. https://t.co/uLWTZpuA3E
— Mohammad Numaan (@MohammadNumaa10) November 22, 2020
I have nothing else to say. https://t.co/raIY0sWqfv pic.twitter.com/dMZjd9x1Sq
— زُبیر (@zubairkhan2695) November 22, 2020
This ad is totally disgusting !
— Owais Sheikh (@o_osheikh2) November 22, 2020
have a shame you B class flop actor @ManishPaul03 , @DollarBigboss and the director @nonu_chidiya who has no sense at all,portraying their bihari and up wala culture and shiting around here. Guess what ? you losers we have a space called bathroom. https://t.co/8PbXTNbQO1
Kashmir is the only tourist destination with zero crime rate against tourists. Even property thieves are mostly indians who came from poor and indigent families to earn their livelihood here in Kashmir. https://t.co/8GNMT06G7V
— Kuchay Hilal (@iKuchayHilal) November 22, 2020
This scene is possible in kashmir only if the colonisers reside here. Else, you wouldn't read anywhere about the crimes against tourists in Kashmir. https://t.co/7LImjvUJfq
— Bombur. (@Junnyslife) November 22, 2020
It is a matter of shame that the TVC for @DollarBigboss by @ManishPaul03 portrays the people of Valley as thieves even when Kashmir is comparable to European countries in terms of safety & has the record of lowest crime rate towards tourists@TourismJK @ListenShahid @OmarAbdullah https://t.co/IItncyiyda
— Aasif Abdullah (@AasifAbdullah) November 22, 2020
Fakeer katha, Kaeshir ha henai mael te chenai jeeli Dals manz yim thermal zachhi heth. https://t.co/2AuiDfE6zL
— Zameer Syed (@zameer_sy3d) November 22, 2020
You ought to have read the script first. Showcasing us as thieves is not acceptable at all. Dollar does not even suit us here. We here wear what you can’t afford. Ooshin. https://t.co/jAjOqQ3UJn
— Malik Wassim ملِک وسیم (@advwasimgulzar) November 22, 2020
What can one expect from B-Rated actor & a people full of bias other than portraying & vilifying Kashmiri’s this time as thieves snatching clothes from visitors to keep themselves warm
— Awaara. (@BeingMentall) November 22, 2020
shame @DollarBigboss @nonu_chidiya drop this ad & distribute more clothes in mainland beggars https://t.co/NWiUyjGsRj
J&K is the only state with zero crime rate against tourists. Also, let me clear Mr @ManishPaul03, Kashmiris are known for their hospitality globally not for the criminal nature. Even though the intention may not have been like that but the advt. has a bit of bad taste. https://t.co/zyfdDtx0Xb
— Mohammad Waleed (@thewaleed_) November 22, 2020
Okay so first things first Kashmir is known for its hospitality and negligible crime rate. This is absolutely offensive and complete bullshit. Plus we are ones who provide clothes and shelter to many Indians. And here are you portraying Kashmiri people stealing clothes, bro stfu. https://t.co/ZFDqiNfHo7
— Ib (@ibrahimrishi) November 22, 2020
bas, itni hi audience iss se zyada likes toh hamare Kaits Salman ko aati hai 🤦🏻♂️ https://t.co/6Lh4dMsjmA
— t. (@Towfeeq_) November 22, 2020
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