Raksha Bandhan - New Times, New Rules for Modesty?

Rakhi Purnima or Raksha Bandhan - The festival celebrating the eternal bond between a sister and brother is transitioning into a different ceremony with an evolution of the new era. Times are changing and so is its definition, with everyone having different perceptions of how it's celebrated. Be it long distance Rakhi celebrations, reversal of traditional gender roles or bold depiction of the sister, everyone seems to be satiated with their own style of celebration. And, why shouldn't they? Afterall, it's not classified as a strictly orthodox religion specific occassion! But, do you know where the conflict arises? It's when sects having their own conception of Rakhi try to forcefully impose it on each other. That's where the problem begins! The rich may have their own way of performing the ceremony, while the poor may have their own way. It's crazy to even keep into account the multifaceted views of this single festival. What I personally hate about the modernization of Raksha Bandhan is the western touch it over-exaggerates sometimes. The most prominent example of which was seen in the recent advertisement of GIVA featuring the Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon. The recent Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon for the jewellery brand GIVA has sparked a massive online controversy. The campaign attempted to give the festival a contemporary treatment dividing social media users, drawing strong criticism as well as heavy support. Obviously, I would not expect Akari Niimura, Kirara Asuka, Miu Arioka, Hanazawa Himari or Yua Mikami to feature in such kind of festive advertisements! In the advertisement, Kriti Sanon wears an off-white contemporary fusion ensemble featuring a bralette-style blouse, a cape, and a draped skirt. Netizens and critics immediately labeled the attire as "skimpy" and inappropriate for a family festival. The commercial depicts a modern family setup where Kriti ties a traditional rakhi to her barking pet dog to include him in the family. Viewers accused the brand of making a "mockery" of traditional Indian rituals. Online trolls pointed out that the advertisement lacked conventional festive visual hallmarks, such as a traditional puja ki thali (prayer plate) and tilak. The debate escalated significantly when actress-politician Kangana Ranaut publicly slammed the campaign on her Instagram story. Without explicitly naming Sanon, Ranaut questioned the styling choices, asking why anyone would tie a Rakhi to their sibling in a "bikini" or "undergarments" and called the advertisement "intentionally creepy". Breaking her silence on the massive backlash, Kriti Sanon shared a heartfelt note on Instagram defending the ad. She strongly called out the moral policing, stating that Indian culture and traditions live "in her heart, not her neckline" and questioned when society would finally stop telling adult women what to wear. No matter what Kriti says to defend the advertisement or even what Ranaut attacks her with, it's not a surprise to the people that time and again Sanon had displayed this behavior of her in many movies, item songs, advertisements, etc. like Thumkeshwari, Adi Purush, etc. and also no one likes to pay serious attention to Ranaut's BS and attention drawing limelight grabbing publicity stunts. In other words, both are drama queens and like to showcase then in pink light and are married to the money. Intellectuals are not to be swayed or finagled by such fake personalities. Moral policing changes nothing. Collective consciousness directed towards righteousness is the key. I would rather argue that it shouldn't be directed or orchestrated, but should flow towards it naturally. It would be better. But, that's too eutopian and idealistic and doesn't happen in reality. So, stick to the basics and preserve the pristinity of such festivities.