Flipkart apologises for promotional video calling husbands ‘Aalsi, Kambakkht, and Bewakoof Pati’ after outrage

Flipkart faced backlash over a controversial video portraying husbands negatively. The company apologised after criticism from a men's rights group led to the video's removal.

Flipkart faces backlash for a promotional video referring to husbands as “Aalsi, Kambakkht, and Bewakoof Pati”. (@NCMIndiaa)

Flipkart recently encountered significant backlash due to a promotional video that sparked controversy. The video depicted a scenario in which women could order and conceal handbags from their husbands, which a men's rights organisation found offensive. The National Council for Men labelled the video as “misandrist,” arguing that it unfairly characterised husbands as “Aalsi, Kambakkht and Bewakoof Pati.” In light of the criticism, Flipkart promptly removed the video from its social media platforms.

Men's Rights Group Voices Objection

Despite Flipkart's actions, the National Council for Men shared the video on X, a social media platform, to highlight their objections. They took to their account, NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs, to express their concerns. In their post, they stated, “So @Flipkart deleted this misandrist post. But what was the logic behind even posting such a toxic video addressing a husband as Aalsi, Kambakkht and Bewakoof Pati?”

Members of the men's rights group continued to voice their dissatisfaction on X, calling for an apology from Flipkart. They wrote, “They must apologize for this and hope they will not repeat it. Misandry will not be tolerated anymore.”

Flipkart Responds to Backlash

In response to the backlash, Flipkart not only deleted the video but also issued an apology. The company stated, “We're sorry for the offending video which was posted in error, and took it down as soon as we realized our mistake. We will do better in the future.”

The post by the men's rights group garnered substantial attention, accumulating 1.6 lakh views and eliciting numerous comments. One user criticised the apology, saying, “They say sorry for posting the video, not for making it or even thinking about it! Pakade gaye toh sorry!” Another user questioned Flipkart's message, remarking, “How many women do you think shop on their own money? And you're mocking their husbands. Wow!” 

In short, the incident reflects ongoing discussions about gender representation in advertising and the impact of social media backlash on corporate messaging.