Zomato says 'Mahakal thali' referred to Ujjain eatery, not the temple; withdraws ad

Online food delivery firm Zomato has withdrawn the 'Mahakal thali' advertisement featuring actor Hrithik Roshan and apologised, further clarifying that the “Mahakal” reference was for a restaurant and not the temple. Famous Mahakaleshwar temple priests in Madhya Pradesh had objected the advertisement in which the Bollywood actor is seen ordering food from 'Mahakal' when he felt like having a 'thali'.

In the advertisement titled 'Mann kiya, Zomato kiya', Roshan says he felt like having a “thali” (food platter) in Ujjain so he ordered it from “Mahakal”.

In an official statement, the food delivery major said that the video is part of the pan-India campaign for which Mahakal Restaurant (simplified as Mahakal) was chosen in Ujjain. “We deeply respect the sentiments of the people of Ujjain and the ad in question is no longer running. We offer our sincerest apologies, for the intent here was never to hurt anyone’s beliefs and sentiments,” Zomato wrote.

 "The Hrithik Roshan-starrer ad that ran in specific pin codes of Ujjain referenced 'thali' at 'Mahakal Restaurant', and not the reversed Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple. Mahakal Restaurant is one of our high-order-volume restaurants in Ujjain, and thali is recommended item on its menu," the statement added.

The ad is AI-powered that uses the location of the viewer and localises the ad. So, only people of Ujjain can see the advertisement where Hrithik Roshan has ordered a 'thali' from Mahakal. The dish changes with location. In other versions of the same advertisement, Hrithik Roshan can be seen ordering some other dishes -- mostly the specialty of that place – from famous restaurants of the region.