Karachi restaurant Swing draws social media flak for using scene from Gangubai Kathiawadi in promotion
Karachi restaurant Swing has drawn the outrage and ire of social media users after it used a scene from film Gangubai Kathiawadi's scene to promote an offer for men.
On Friday, the restaurant's official social media pages used a scene from the film that showed a scene from the movie in which Alia Bhatt is forced into prostitution and gesturing with dead eyes at men to get her first client.
As soon as the post went up, it received heated comments from social media users calling the restaurant out for their bad taste in content promoting offers at the restaurant. Content creator Daniyal Sheikh took to their Facebook post and wrote, "What is this? It's promoting sexual abuse of women and literally making fun of women who are forced to be a prostitute. Try to be responsible."
Other content creators and social media users commented on Instagram and called them out.
A user wrote, "If you guys think that this is some sort of marketing strategy and this will gain you some attention and customers then you're sadly mistaken! Using a clip from a movie based on prostitution (which btw is based on someone's real life) just shows how low and shallow you can get just for publicity."
Another user wrote that they didn't expect such an advertisement from the restaurant and that they are "extremely disappointed".
Gangubai Kathiawadi tells the story of a woman who was forced into prostitution and her journey to becoming a feared and revered leader. She was sold into the market by her lover Ramnik who flees with her jewellery and money. She is beaten and forced into prostitution, and the scene used in the Swing promotion shows the very traumatic experience of her first client.
On Friday night, the restaurant shared another post on Instagram claiming that it was "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," the restaurant wrote. This non-apology was received as well as the original post — which is to say, it received even more flak.
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