- Dozens of billboards featuring the advert have been torn down in Gurjarat
- Slogan ‘Play with love this Navratri’ drew a slew of angry complaints in the state
- Confederation of All India Traders accused the condom manufacturer of taking marketing ‘to an all-time low’
- Leone is brand ambassador for Manforce, India’s largest condom brand
- See more news from India at www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome
A condom advert featuring former porn star Sunny Leone has sparked fury in Gujarat ahead of the Hindu festival Navratri.
Authorities tore down dozens of billboards plastered with the controversial Manforce advert on Tuesday after a slew complaints in the western Indian state.
The poster bearing an image of the Canadian actress of Indian origin alongside the slogan ‘Play with love this Navratri’ drew an angry response, despite featuring no image of a condom.
Sunny Leone, a Canadian actress of Indian origin, featured in adult films before making the transition to Indian cinema, where she has remained a magnet of criticism
In a written complaint, the Confederation of All India Traders accused the condom manufacturer behind the risque ad of taking marketing ‘to an all-time low’.
‘This is an immature attempt to boost sales by putting all our cultural value at stake’, the traders group said in a statement.
The group took particular umbrage at the link between sex and Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival of fasting and prayer.
Local authorities in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, removed the advertisements as controversy mounted.
Leone is brand ambassador for Manforce, India’s largest condom manufacturer, and one of its most searched celebrities online.
The actress featured in adult films including Descent into Bondage and Costumed Damsels in Distress before making the transition to Indian cinema, where she has remained a magnet of criticism.
Named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, Leone has been accused in in India of promoting obscenity and eroding cultural values.