A popular eatery in Karachi, Pakistan, has left netizens fuming. The restaurant is making headlines for the wrong reasons after using a gut-wrenching scene from Alia Bhatt’s Bollywood blockbuster Gangubai Kathiawadi in an ad.
The joint named Swing decided to use a brothel scene from the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film to promote a special offer for men. The scene shows Gangu (Alia) standing outside a brothel in Kamatipura after being abandoned by her lover and forced into prostitution. The haunting scene shows the sex worker trying to attract her first customer.
The restaurant shared the clip with the caption: “Aja na Raja – what are you waiting for? Swings is calling out all the Raja’s out there. Ajao and avail a 25% discount on Men’s Monday at Swings!”
Slamming the eatery for the highly insensitive post, a netizen wrote, “You guys are using such a painful scene for your advertisement??? R u fr?” Another condemned it and expressed, “A pathetic marketing tactic, definitely time to change your marketing team. Absolutely disgusted.”
After the ad went viral and made headlines, the Karachi-based restaurant issued a half-hearted apology. “Just a concept. We didn’t mean to hurt the sentiments of anyone. The movie and this post is based on a concept. Like before, we’re open to all and will be serving you with the same love like we always have,” they wrote on their official Instagram.
