Surf Excel ad gets mixed response from Hindu Twitteratis amid boycott HUL calls

Hindustan Unilever's Surf Excel has sparked a controversy with its new Holi-themed ad which shows a Hindu girl bear all the balloons and colour during Holi celebrations to make way for her Muslim friend to go to 'Namaz'. The ad has sparked outrage from the Hindu community who believed that the ad undermines auspicious Holi festival and gives more importance to Namaz. Hashtags like #BoycottHindustanUnilever and #BoycottSurfExcel have been trending among top spots on Twitter.

Let’s join hands & be social crusaders 4 our motherland.Use #OptForRealHindustaniProducts as a way 2 show this pseudo Indian company that we’re here 2 crush their ‘monopoly’.Dear @HUL_News, we’re civilized enough 2 kick your rear.#BoycottUnileverProducts #BoycottHindustanUnilever pic.twitter.com/1B3pE6XH1h

— Seemika Khanvilkar (@seemika_k) March 7, 2019

Some Twitteratis, some among them claim to be Hindus, have now started coming in support of the ad, calling it 'heartwarming' and 'cute'.

People can troll this too🙄🙄 why d hell are they relating religion to this beautiful ad ⁉️⁉️⁉️ its purely insane😷 #surfexcel👍🏻👍🏻. pic.twitter.com/MxYEmJ9bpu

— G3 (@gayatri008_16) March 10, 2019

Some eminent people and celebrities have also come up in support of the ad:

This #SurfExcel ad celebrating friendship between a Muslim boy & presumably Hindu girl is being attacked by Sanghi haters who view it through the lens of their communal patriarchal sexualised anxieties of 'love jihad'. Teach them a lesson in love, India! https://t.co/w4UajX6qBG

— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) March 10, 2019

Search #BoycottSurfExcel hashtag and witness #TheCultOfStupidity in action. I hope @HUL_News will have the conviction to stand by their advertisement aimed at promoting communal harmony & not be cowed down by hate mongers.

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) March 9, 2019

This is the ad where it all started, it already has over 7 million views on YouTube within just 2 weeks: