Social Media Uproar Over Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar's 'Dowry Promoting’ Road Safety Ad

A new road safety advertisement featuring Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has sparked social media uproar for allegedly promoting dowry, a practice which is outlawed in a number of countries including India.

On Friday, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari shared a new commercial promoting having six airbags in cars.

In the video, Kumar, portraying a cop, can be seen taunting a bride's father for allegedly sending his daughter and son-in-law in a newly purchased car with only two airbags instead of six.

In India, any amount of money, gifts, vehicles or property that a bride's family gives to the bridegroom is considered to be dowry, and is strictly prohibited, with those giving or receiving liable to up to six months imprisonment or a fine over INR 5,000 ($62.75).

In response to the ad, people took to social media to slam the commercial makers, demanding that they roll back the advertisement.

Likewise, politician Priyanka Chaturvedi called the advertisement “problematic” and hit out at the creative team for passing ideas that end up promoting "the evil and criminal act of dowry.” For his part, Saket Gokhale, national spokesperson for Trinamool Congress, said it was "disgusting" to see the Indian government officially promoting dowry.