After Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif's ads draw flak, Zomato offers clarification: 'Every customer is a star'

Zomato has offered a clarification after their ads featuring Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan drew flak online. Many accused the company of whitewashing the plight of their delivery executives.

Zomato has offered a clarification after their latest ads featuring Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan drew flak on social media. The food delivery app maintains that the ads are 'well-intentioned, but were unfortunately misinterpreted by some people'.

Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif feature in Zomato's new ads.

Zomato said in a long note published on Twitter on Monday, that the intention behind the ad was to show how their customers were no less stars than Hrithik and Katrina for them. They also wanted to project their delivery executives as heroes.

In one ad, Katrina offers a piece of her birthday cake to her Zomato delivery executive but he leaves without it so that he wouldn't be late at delivering his next order. In the ad featuring Hrithik, the delivery executives gives up a selfie opportunity for a similar reason.

The ads came amid debate about the working conditions of gig workers and the pressures their face. Many criticised Zomato for projecting their executives as heroes rather than focussing on better treatment for them.

Here's their message:

Katrina and Hrithik currently endorse multiple brands. They have also worked together in movies such as Bang Bang and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Katrina was last seen in Bharat with Salman Khan. Her upcoming projects include Phone Bhoot with Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tiger 3. She also recently announced her first film with Farhan Akhtar as a director--Jee Le Zaraa. The film will be a road trip movie, also starring Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt.

Hrithik was last seen in 2019's War with Tiger Shroff. His next release will be Fighter with Deepika Padukone. It will also be directed by War director Siddharth Anand. He is also working on Krrish 4.