Daijiworld Media Network – Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, Oct 8: Bollywood star Deepika Padukone has once again become the target of online trolls — this time over her attire in a new commercial for Experience Abu Dhabi, a campaign by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, in which she appears alongside her husband and co-star Ranveer Singh as the brand’s regional ambassador.

In the promotional video, the celebrity couple is seen enjoying Abu Dhabi’s cultural landmarks — sharing a light moment over a sculpture at the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum and admiring the stunning architecture of the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. While visiting the mosque, Deepika is dressed in a maroon ankle-length abaya, a modest outfit covering her body except for her face and hands, while Ranveer sports a formal black suit.

However, soon after the ad was released, Deepika began trending on social media, with several X (formerly Twitter) users criticising her for “wearing a hijab,” a garment they wrongly identified in the video. Many trolls referred to her viral 2015 short film My Choice, where she advocated women’s empowerment and the freedom to choose how they dress, questioning her current attire.

Some users accused the actor of hypocrisy, while others defended her, pointing out that she was merely respecting the cultural norms of the UAE. Fans highlighted that every woman visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is required to wear long, loose-fitting, ankle-length clothing along with a headscarf, and that Deepika’s attire was appropriate for the setting.

The incident has reignited the debate over women’s clothing choices, with Deepika once again finding herself at the centre of a social media storm — even though, as many supporters noted, she was simply adhering to local customs during the shoot.