Ad Spoof on Abhinandan ahead of India Pak CWC Match, faces backlash from all corners!

An Ad spoof surfaces on the Internet ahead of India-Pak CWC match and people are wondering if this is the classic case of blurring the line between creative liberty and offensive.

The Cricket World Cup 2019 is in full swing with players from all over the world bringing their best on the pitch. So far, India has been performing extremely well and hasn’t faced defeat. And while cricketers are playing with true sportsman spirit –the ad creators, might not. Recently, Star Sports rolled out an ad that took an indirect jibe at Pakistan, calling India its father. The advertisement was not well received, not just by Pakistan, but by the Indian audience as well. People thought it was unethical to create such an ad.

This #FathersDay, watch an ICC #CWC19 match jo dekh ke bas bol sakte hain, “baap re baap!” ?

Catch #INDvPAK in the race for the #CricketKaCrown, LIVE on June 16th, only on Star Sports! pic.twitter.com/Apo3R8QrbO

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 9, 2019

Do you all remember the footage of Captain Abhinandan which revealed that he was captured in Pakistan. Our neighbor country was praised for taking good care of him and offering him Tea. The Whole nation was proud of the Captain for not revealing much information and passing the questions asked to him with gentle tone of ‘I am not supposed to tell you this’.

Recently, an ad spoof was released on YouTube, where a Pakistani citizen is talking to an Indian (a lookalike to Captain Abhinandan), mocking the incidence, and the tone is kind of condescending.

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This received a backlash from people as well, and rightly so.

Shameful...#Pakistan World Cup ad mocks #AbhinandanVarthaman’s capture to publicise clash against #India. #IndiaVsPakistan pic.twitter.com/Vou9CAk0kY

— Atul Mohan (@atulmohanhere) June 11, 2019

An insensitive #advertisement released in #Pakistan to build up hype for the #WorldCup clash between the two neighbours stooped low as it virtually insults #AbhinandanVarthaman.#indiavspak #IndvsPak @BCCI @TheRealPCB

Read more at: https://t.co/DfxpwDeFJ5

— OneIndia (@Oneindia) June 11, 2019

Very poor acting..

— Veteran Manan Bhatt ?? (@mananbhattnavy) June 11, 2019

Cowards can do only such videos..not brave things

— dr shankar a s (@shankar81472164) June 11, 2019

आज भारत पाकिस्तान मे जो तणाव है. उसके लिये दोनो देशो कि मिडीया भी जिम्मेदार है. बिजेपिने वोट के लिए किया. Jaaztv पैसोके लिए कर रही है.
बुरा लगा देखकर.:(

— Nilesh Simon Correia (@nilcorreia6) June 11, 2019

All these reactions prove a pertinent point but also raise a question. It certainly asserts that audiences globally are becoming ethically sound and clearly know the difference between content that is in good and bad taste. We are beyond the time where anything said with enough conviction or humor would fly.