One bar of soap, two angry camps: Tamannaah Bhatia's Mysore Sandal ad sparks 'anti-Kannada' row

The Indian beauty segment has witnessed significant change over the past few years. As women shifted from Ayurvedic products to K-beauty deals, which include complicated formulations, the evolution happened fast.

But now, the trend is reversing, with people returning to Indian natural DIY roots, which are all over the internet.However, amidst all the changes, some Indian brands still hold a strong place in the Indian market and have a legacy of more than 100 years. From Bengal’s Boroline to Parachute’s Coconut Oil, these brands have stood the test of time and still have a high demand. Just one of them is the ever-iconic Mysore Sandal Soap from Karnataka, which has a 108-year legacy.

Recently, however, the brand got embroiled in controversy, dividing the internet into two factions. The brand has long aimed to modernise and reposition itself in the market. To make this century-old product appealing to younger generations, the brand sparked widespread debate by announcing Tamannaah Bhatia as its new brand ambassador.As the brand wishes to relaunch the product and expand its presence more in North India, the team appointed Mumbai-born Tamannaah over any other Kannada actor.

This started a debate about the brand's regional representation, raising questions about public sector branding strategies and the company's marketing decisions. The Minister of Large and Medium Industries announced the relaunch of Mysore Sandal Soap and KSDL’s target of scaling up its annual turnover. KSDL stands for Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, the government-owned company that manufactures Mysore Sandal Soap.According to his X (formerly known as Twitter) post, the minister in charge, MB Patil, wrote, “A legacy spanning over a century, now stepping boldly into the future with a clear vision! Founded on the foresight of the great visionary Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) is entering a transformative new phase.”

He continued, “With a focus on digital marketing, export expansion, and innovation, KSDL aims for a Rs 5,000 crore turnover by 2030 - a bold stride by this Karnataka government enterprise towards becoming a global brand.”Soon, the opposition political party and online users labelled this move as an ‘anti-Kannada mindset’. Many users cited big names from the Kannada industry, like Rashmika Mandanna, Pooja Hegde, and Ramya, who are in popular across the film fraternity and would be more suitable faces for the brand. Tamannaah Bhatia has worked extensively in the South film industry, but she was born and brought up in Mumbai. Some voices argued that the iconic soap brand, which is rooted in Karnataka’s identity, should reflect local representation. But from a marketing point of view, celebrity endorsements do accelerate the brand’s value, and in Tamannaah’s case, she holds a pan-India fan following.These reactions thus have been far from unanimous; in today’s India, even a bar of soap has become a source of cultural conversation. Do you think the marketing move is right or wrong? Do let us know your thoughts below.