Nargis ‘shocked’ by Urdu newspaper ad

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhri, who sparked outrage on social media following her ad in leading Urdu newspapers, has finally opened up about the strife surrounding her.
”I’ve been with Mobilink as their brand ambassador for the last three years and there has never been an issue like this. I was unaware that they would consider using this visual for a mainstream newspaper ad — an Urdu daily as it was never meant to be,” Fakhri said in an official statement, responding to the fury caused by the telecommunication company’s ad.
The ad which displayed Nargis lying down on the front page of Urdu dailies drew strong reactions from Pakistanis and caused quite a furor on social media.
Nargis disclosed that she was just as shocked by the ad and shared her side of the story. “As a model or celebrity, I have always believed in using my persona to help further a brand’s communication but never to have it used where I end up being objectified for my looks.
“Culturally too, my team and I are aware and respectful of what visuals work for which mediums, markets and audiences and hence, given the brand’s firm penetration in the Pakistani market, we left it up to their expertise to use the images appropriately,” read her statement, reports Pinkvilla.
Pakistanis across the country woke up on Sunday to the seemingly innocent ad that simply shows a woman lying down with a phone in her hand.