Actor Priyanka Chopra Slams 'Shameful' Indian Body Spray Commercial For Making Light Of Rape

Indian actress Priyanka Chopra joined other celebrities in calling out a recent body spray advertisement that purportedly romanticized gang rape.

The Indian commercial for the male fragrance brand Layer'r Shot showed four men inside a store hungrily staring in the direction of a female customer bending down to retrieve a product from a lower shelf.

"We're four," said one, followed by another who added, "and there's only one."

The camera focused on the nervous woman who was obviously overhearing the men's conversation.

She hastily spun around when one of them asked:

"So who will take the Shot?"

It is then revealed the men were referring to the product, Layer'r Shot, and the woman appeared relieved after realizing her suspicion the men were being predatory was only in her head.

Chopra called the ad that made light of a vulnerable woman in the presence of four men inside a store, "shameful and disgusting."

"How many levels of clearances did it take for this commercial to be green lit," she asked. "How many people thought this was ok?"

The fact the woman in the commercial assumed the worst was indicative of well-known issues with sexual assaults in the country.

According to the Times of India, recorded rape cases increased by 12% in 2021 compared to the previous year despite the pandemic lockdown.

Chopra responded to the controversial commercial shared by Hindi film star Richa Chadha, who blasted the ad and demanded the product's advertising agency "be sued for the filth they're serving."

The Layer'r Shot commercial was removed after overwhelming backlash.

On Saturday, the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, Swait Maliwal, addressed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the following statement:

“This advertisement is clearly promoting sexual violence against women and girls and promoting a rapist mentality among men."

"The advertisement is cringeworthy and should not be allowed to be played on mass media.”

The Ministry removed the commercial within 24 hours and asked for shared videos on other social media platforms to be taken down as well.

Chopra expressed relief after positive measures were taken.

"I’m so glad that it was called out and now the ministry has taken it down. Appalling!"

Others couldn't believe the ad was created in the first place given the country's record on rape.

On Monday, Layer'r Shot apologized in a statement, stating they “never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments or feeling or outrage any woman’s modesty or promote any sort of culture, as wrongly perceived by some.”