Zomato roundly criticised for ‘Kachra’ campaign based on movie ‘ Lagaan’, video deleted

Mumbai: Food delivery company Zomato has taken down a video on Thursday from social media after facing criticisms including the one that called it a ‘repulsive casteist commercial’.

The video was released on YouTube and other platforms as part of World Environment Day campaign featuring actor Aditya Lakhia.

In the video titled ‘Zomato recycles Kachra feat. Kachra as Kachra’, Lakhia appeared as ‘Kachra’ the character he played in the 2001 movie Lagaan.

The movie portrayed Kachra as man from the lower caste facing ridicule for his identity, according to The Indian Express.

The advertisement shows the actor ‘becoming human stool, lamp and hand towel’ as well other objects in daily life.

The advertisement was trying to show the amount of plastic involve in manufacturing them.

The advertisement was reportedly trying to communicate that the company ‘recycles twice the amount of plastic it delivers, and keeps it out of the landfills’.

However, the video has not gone down well with a lot of social media users with many calling out it.

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan referred to the advertisement as a ‘ dehumanized voiceless depictions of Dalits ever in cinema’, adding it is a “repulsive casteist commercial”.

Another user criticised Zomato for ‘ stupid ‘ portrayal of recycling, adding that the company ‘recycled casteism from 2001’.

Zomato said that the video was meant to ‘spread awareness about the potential of plastic waste and benefits of recycling in a humorous way’.