Actor Rashami Desai, who is a popular face on TV, is not happy with a recent advertisement featuring actor Ranveer Singh and adult film star Johnny Sins about a men’s sexual healthcare brand. The ad is a parody on a typical Indian daily soap, involving a joint family. She slammed the ad on Instagram, calling it “an insult” to the television industry and wrote: “This all happens on the big screen.” 

Clarifying that her anger is not directed towards the actor but the content, Desai tells us, “My words are clear, it’s not about Ranveer Singh.” She continues, “We’ve never shown such things on TV. People always make a mockery of the small screen, but they come here when they need to promote [films]. TV has the biggest reach, but it is also demeaned the most. There’s no respectful balance.” 

The ad promotes the men’s sexual wellness brand in a Hindi family drama serial setup, complete with a joint family discussing a couple’s issues. Singh and Sins play the two brothers who discuss one of the brand’s products.

Rashami started her television career with the mythological drama series Ravan in 2006 and has been a part of popular shows including Uttaran and Naagin 4 and reality shows. Asserting her reaction to the ad, the 37-year-old opines that TV “represents our culture in a lot of ways”.

The Tandoor actor adds, “Outside India, people see and understand our culture [via TV shows]. I have a huge respect for the medium, because the name, fame, money, love and respect I got for my work has been from TV industry.”