Actress Tamannaah Bhatia’s appointment as the brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap by the Karnataka government has been met with backlash, with people questioning why a Kannada actress wasn’t selected for the role.
A notification was issued on Thursday by the Karnataka state government, declaring Tamannaah as the brand ambassador for the soap company. The official X page of Mysore Sandal Soap also shared the announcement.
The notification mentioned that she will be paid Rs 6.20 crore for a time period of two years.
Soon after the notification was issued, netizens took X to criticise the government for not appointing a Kannada actress for the brand.
“This soap has a legacy and decades of loyal customers. I don’t understand what Tamanna brings to the table or how much she’ll actually improve the business—she’s not a household name across Karnataka, forget India,” one of them wrote.
“#boycottammana mysuru sandal soap is pride of Karnataka. Doesn't the Kannada industry have good actresses (sic),” another netizen commented.
Several social media users also wondered if the 35-year-old actress could speak Kannada or not. “Can she speak Kannada? You need a girl from Punjab to sell your soap?” reads a tweet by a parody account.
Reacting to the online backlash, Karnataka state Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil on Thursday explained that the decision was taken to expand the reach of the brand across the country and beyond.
“We evaluated several well-known celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Rashmika Mandanna, Pooja Hegde, and Kiara Advani,” Patil said. “Tamannaah was selected based on her pan-India appeal, cost-effectiveness, and her substantial digital footprint, which includes over 28 million followers,” he added.
Several activists have appealed to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, demanding the removal of Tamannaah from the post. In an X post, Narayana Gowda, State President of the Karnataka Defence Forum, defended the soap company’s decision, calling it “an unwise, absurd, unethical and irresponsible decision”.
"There are many talented and popular Kannada actresses in Karnataka. If they were appointed as brand ambassadors, they would have been closer to the hearts of Kannadigas and would have encouraged local artists. But the Karnataka government and Mysore Soaps Company have ignored Kannada actresses and chosen a Bollywood actress, which hurts the sentiments of Kannadigas. A company that represents the cultural identity of Karnataka should have given first priority to local talents," he further said.
The legacy of Mysore Sandal Soap goes back to 1916 when the Government Sandalwood Oil Factory was established in Mysore. The factory was founded by King Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV and Diwan Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The first Mysore Sandal Soap was manufactured in 1918.
