BENGALURU: Actor Tamannah Bhatia has been roped in as brand ambassador for Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) on May 22. The Karnataka government’s decision, however, sparked criticism from different quarters, with many questioning why a Kannada actor was not chosen to represent the iconic brand of the state.
Following the backlash, Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said that the matter was not of language but of earning global and national reputation through work. Tamannah Bhatia was picked by a committee with the approval of the government due to the unavailability of other popular actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Srileela, Pooja Hegde, and three other actors, he explained.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: On controversy over Tamannaah Bhatia’s appointment as the brand ambassador of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, which manufactures Mysore Sandal Soap, Karnataka Minister MB Patil says, “…We have a prolonged strategy to take up the total sales to Rs… pic.twitter.com/iSszBnwW4h
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2025
Amid the criticism, Sandalwood Queen Ramya wrote on Instagram, “Every single person who has used and uses Mysore Sandal Soap is an ambassador. Every Kannadiga is an ambassador.”
Ramya wrote that appointing brand ambassadors to promote products is an outdated tradition and that it is a waste of taxpayer’s money. Ramya stated, ”There are innovative and unique ways to tell a story today. The age-old tradition of getting an ambassador to endorse your product is passé and in this case it’s just a waste of taxpayers’ money”.
“Today the public doesn’t buy something just cos a celebrity endorses it. They know the soap is not going to make them look like the ambassador. Your product has to be good for people to become loyal customers, and we not only have a good product; it has a legacy too-
“Every single person who has used and uses Mysore sandal soap is an ambassador. Every Kannadiga is an ambassador. Engage every Kannadiga to take it to the world. They will do it free of cost—nothing comes close to the pride of Kannadigas! Organic, creative relationships with the audience are the way to go. P.s Apple is a successful brand has never had a paid ‘brand ambassador’ Dove soap campaigns are some of the best I’ve come across”, she wrote.
The appointment of Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of Mysore Sandal Soap has sparked controversy, with the Karnataka government allegedly paying her Rs 6.20 crore. Ramya’s post has created a stir on social media.
On Friday, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists had staged protest in front of the KSDL unit in Bengaluru. The protesters presented a memorandum to the managing director of KSDL, appealing to drop the plans to rope in Tamannah Bhatia to endorse the brand and even suggested that the company could rope in social media influencers. The protesters were later detained by the police.
