Tamannaah Bhatia signs ₹6.2 cr Mysore Sandal soap deal, Karnataka minister reacts to backlash over non-Kannada actress

Mint

22-05-2025

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia became the new brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap. The Karnataka government appointed her as the new face of the government brand with a ₹ 6.20 crore deal for two years. However, the decision has been met with heavy criticism from several people on the internet for choosing a non-Kannada actor.
On Thursday, the Karnataka State Government confirmed Tamannaah as the brand ambassador for Mysore Sandal Soap. An official letter surfaced online, mentioning that she is being paid ₹ 6.20 crore for being the face of the prestigious soap brand for 2 years.
Reacting to the viral letter, several expressed dissatisfaction over the decision.
A user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'Many Kannada actress itself were there why pay for an outsider (sic).' Another questioned, "Why not our own Rukmini Vasanth?'
'Mysore sandal soap doesn't need any ads or brand ambassador,' added another.
Someone also wrote, 'Not worth at all..there are plenty of models in Bengaluru and Kannada actresses. The iconic Karnataka brand should have opted for a Karnataka person.'
Meanwhile, MB Patil, Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries excluding Sugar of Karnataka, defended the government's decision amid the backlash.
A user wrote to him: 'When local Kannada young actresses like @AshikaRanganath could be taken as brand ambassador why appoint and promote Hindi ones @MBPatil. (sic)'
Patil replied, "KSDL has deepest respects and regards for Kannada Film Industry. Some Kannada Movies are giving competition to even Bollywood movies. Mysore sandal has a very good brand recall within Karnataka. Which shall be strengthened.'
'However the intent of Mysore Sandal is to also penetrate markets beyond Karnataka Aggressively. The pride of Karnataka is also a Jewel of the Nation. Hence it's an independent strategic decision of the PSU board after consulting various marketing experts," he further added.
He justified Tamannaah for the brand and said, "To choose a brand ambassador it takes a lot of deliberation and also considerations like 1) Availability for any given category(If they have a non compete agreement) 2)Social media presence 3)Most importantly coherence with the brand, product and Target Audience 4)Marketing fit and Reach. Our Vision is for KSDL to touch 5000Cr Annual Revenue by 2028.'
Mysore Sandal Soap is a heritage brand from Karnataka. It has been in production since 1916. It was originally established under the rule of King Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, who set up a government-run soap factory in Bengaluru in the early 20th century. Currently, it is produced by Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) and remains a culturally significant symbol for the people of Karnataka.