Advertisement
When it comes to depicting bold content in India – be it in movies or print ads, the makers and models involved have faced several problems. Taking about one such controversy, we bring you a Cadila innerwear print advertisement featuring then-models and now-actors Bipasha Badu and Dino Morea.
In late 1990, the then-couple featured in an advertisement for the Swiss-based innerwear company and it was too hot for the Maharashtra government and the people of the country to handle. Read on to know what followed till the ad was finally taken down.
Advertisement
In this late 1990 ad for the Swiss-based innerwear company – Cadila, Dino Morea was seen pulling Bipasha Basu’s innerwear with his teeth. While he remained bare-chested and only wearing underwear, the Raaz 3 actress was seen lying on the sofa in a black set of innerwear and enjoying the attention.
Advertisement
The act in the advertisement was heavily criticised for its bold content and had been taken down following strong opposition from women organizations. But was taking down the ad all that the two model-turned-actor and makers faced? Well, no. Here’s what more was in store for them owing to the boldness the ad featured.
As per a 1998 India Today report, the Cadila ad featuring Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea came with two captions as the two then-models advertised it while scantily dressed. One text on it read, “You can see why we remained neutral during the two World Wars,” while the other line went as “You thought your appetite for indulgence could only be whetted by Swiss chocolates.”
Advertisement
The then-Minister for Cultural Affairs, Anil Deshmukh has not only pulled up Calida for harming the moral sensibilities of the citizens of Maharashtra but had also asked Police Commissioner R.H. Mendonca to take stringent action against the models Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea and the advertising agency for violating obscenity laws.
Deshmukh had gone on record saying, “The ad was offensive, obscene and violated the state Government directive.” Supporting the Government’s campaign against such ads, Vinnet Kanchan, the then leader of the youth wing of the Citizens’ Organisation for Public Opinion, said, “Why should s*x be used to sell a product when other brands in the same product range do not do so?”
What are your thoughts on this decades-old advertisement of Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea that had to be pulled down? Do you think it would work today or still face a similar fate; let us know in the comments below.
For more such interesting throwback stories from the entertainment world, stay tuned to Koimoi.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube
Advertisement