BOLLYWOOD
The advertisement, according to a statement from Zomato, referred 'thalis' at 'Mahakal Restaurant,' and not the renowned Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.
Zomato, an international restaurant directory and meal delivery service based in India, gave an explanation on an advertisement featuring Hrithik Roshan in which the actor was seen ordering food from ‘Mahakal’ when he felt like a ‘thali,’ or food platter. The advertisement, according to a statement from Zomato, referred 'thalis' at 'Mahakal Restaurant,' and not the renowned Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple.
Calling for boycott of Zomato, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti tweeted, "In an ad, @iHrithik says “Thaali khane ka man tha, Mahakal se mangaa liya"...Mahakal is no servant who delivers food to those who demand it, He is a God who's worshipped. Could @zomato insult a God of another religion with the same courage?"
“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 read.
We have something to share - pic.twitter.com/6e1wVIpvIz
— zomato care (@zomatocare) August 21, 2022
After two priests from Ujjain's Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple sought the immediate removal of the Hrithik Roshan-starring advertising, Boycott Zomato became a popular topic on Twitter. The priests explained that their prasad is not something that can be ordered online through a meal delivery service because it is given to devotees on a plate (thali) gratis. They also spoke with Ashish Singh, the district collector for Ujjain, to request that action should be take against Zomato . The chairman of the Mahakal temple trust, Singh, told reporters that the advertisement was "misleading" because the temple only provides free food as "prasad," which cannot be ordered.