'Sincerest apologises...': Zomato issues apology after Hritik Roshan's ad faces backlash

A day after Madhya Pradesh temple priests complained about Zomato's advertising starring Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, the online meal delivery service apologised and said it had no desire to offend anyone.

Two priests from the Mahakaleshwar temple asked that Zomato remove the advertising on Saturday on the grounds that it hurts Hindu feelings. In the recent ad, Roshan can be heard saying, “Thaali khane ka mann tha, Mahakaal se manga liya (wanted to have a food platter, so I ordered it from Mahakaal)”.

Thali is a suggested item on the menu at Ujjain's Mahakal Restaurant, not the renowned Mahakaleshwar Temple, according to a statement from Zomato. One of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the nation, the Mahakaleshwar or Mahakal temple honours Lord Shiva and draws a large following of believers.

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According to Zomato, the ad in question is no longer showing.

"The film is a part of a pan-Indian campaign for which we chose the finest restaurants in each city and their most well-known meals. One of the eateries selected for the promotion in Ujjain was Mahakal restaurant," said the delivery company.

"The ad in question has been taken down out of respect for the feelings of the people of Ujjain. We sincerely apologise since our intention was never to offend anyone's values or emotions," the statement added.

The company apologised and stated that it "truly respects" "the opinions of the Ujjain population. The intention here was never to offend anyone's beliefs or sensibilities, thus we sincerely apologise," Zomato composed.

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Despite all of the attempts, the rage does not appear to be abating, as the app continues to draw harsh criticism on social media.

• Hritik Roshan
• Mahakaleshwar Temple
• Ujjain
• Zomato
• Zomato ad
• online app