'Why not a Kannada star?': Tamannaah Bhatia becomes face of Karnataka’s legacy soap; oppositon, social media object
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Why not a Kannada star?': Tamannaah Bhatia becomes face of Karnataka’s legacy soap; oppositon, social media object")
Tamannaah Bhatia is the new face of Mysore Sandal soap Photograph: (X)
Tamannaah Bhatia has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd - the body which creates Mysore Sandal Soaps. The new appointment has not gone down well with many on the internet.
Tamannaah Bhatia has been announced as the new brand ambassador of century-old Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd (KSDL). The announcement, however, has stirred a controversy over the rationale behind appointing a non-Kannada-speaking actor as the face of the famous Mysore Sandal Soap.
What’s the controversy?
BIP, the opposition party in Karnataka, and several users have raised objections to Tamannaah Bhatia’s inclusion in the campaign. It all started in May 2025, when the Karnataka government roped in the Mumbai-born Sindhi actress as the face of the soap brand. The news created a stir even back then, as many pointed out how the government had overlooked several well-known actresses from the Kannada film industry.
There were some users on social media who felt Deepika Padukone, raised in Bengaluru with roots in Karnataka, was a better choice for the brand.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, all major newspapers carried full-page advertisements featuring Tamannaah as the KSDL brand ambassador. At an event held in Bengaluru, the actor launched 60 products comprising personal care and home care items.
Minister defends the government’s decision
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As many social media users raised objections over Tamannaah’s new role, the large and medium industries minister, MB Patil, defended the state government’s decision. The state minister said that the actress was picked based on her merit, star value, business consideration,s and to push KSDL into a global FMCG brand.
“We aim to spread KSDL’s products not only across India, but targeting international markets, including West Asia, the US and the UK. Earlier, I had categorically clarified why Tamannaah was chosen as the brand ambassador. A committee had considered five or six names, which included a few from Karnataka. But they had endorsed some other products. If you endorse some other product, you cannot be a brand ambassador for this product. So, they were rejected,” Patil told reporters in Bengaluru.
What Tammannah said about her new role
The actress, a popular face in South cinema as well as in Bollywood, was earlier the face of Chandrika Soaps in Kerala. She is now in a two-year contract with KSDL. Calling the association a ‘new chapter’ in her two-decade-long career in the film industry, the actress said, “Mysore Sandal is not a mere soap. It’s an emotion, childhood nostalgia and the truth of authenticity. I’m honoured to take this iconic and heritage brand to a global audience,” she said.
Internet reacts
Several users on social media slammed the Karnataka government’s decision to choose Tamannaah over other prominent Kannada actors to promote the state’s iconic brand. |
BJP MP from Chikkaballapura and former state minister K Sudhakar said, “Although many stars from our own Karnataka were eligible to be appointed as brand ambassadors for Karnataka’s famous international brand Mysore Sandal Soap, a film actress from another state, from another language, has been appointed as the brand ambassador by paying crores of rupees. This is yet another proof of the Congress party’s anti-Kannada mentality.
“Kannada film stars like Ramya, Rashmika Mandanna, Srinidhi Shetty, Pooja Hegde, Rukmini Vasanth and many other actresses have become popular and are in demand in the film industry of many other languages. They have raised the banner of Kannada fame at the national and international levels,” Sudhakar wrote on X.
There were many who suggested other prominent names from Karnataka who could have been chosen for the brand.
If I remember right, one of the most beautiful and famous women in not just the country but the world - Aishwarya Rai - is from Karnataka. Why not her? There’s also Deepika Padukone & Anushka Sharma. So Tamannaah Bhatia is far from justified,” pointed out a user.
“Why is the anti-Kannada Congress govt ignoring Kannada actresses for Mysore Sandal Soap? They spent a massive ₹6.2 crore of public money on non-Kannada star Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador for 2 years, while Kannadigas' pride gets sidelined! Where's the fight from Olata’s now? #KannadaPride #MysoreSandalSoap” wrote another user.
“State govt’s decision to appoint Tamannaah Bhatia as face of Mysuru Sandal Soap, despite strong opposition, shows it values commercial gains over Kannadiga sentiments. MB Patil & such profits-only politicians belong in the private sector, not public service. KA needs a regional party”
Meanwhile, Patil had a rebuttal for Sudhakar and said doing politics over the issue wouldn’t help. He said Tamannaah had 2.8 crore followers on social media. The minister also revealed that KSDL’s earlier plan was to rope in Deepika. However, the plan had to be dropped as she was beyond their budget.
