Hello @kritisanon,
1. Don't play the woman card. You were not criticized for your gender, but for your choice of clothes in an ad. You are bringing gender into this to make it a women's issue and seek wider support from women and male feminists. It's not a gender issue. Even Ranveer Singh was criticized on Twitter for a nude photoshoot. He didn't play the gender card.
2. Personal choice stops where public commercialization begins. What you wear off-camera is entirely your prerogative. You've been in this business for years. Until now, nobody bothered you about your choice of clothes. You know why? Because nobody actually cares what you wear. The outrage here comes from a commercial choice: sexualizing a deeply sacred festival celebrated by millions. Context dictates appropriateness. If a male actor appeared bare-chested while portraying the brother in that exact scene, the public pushback would be identical. The issue is sacredness and context, not gender.
3. Claiming "clothes don't define culture" directly contradicts human history. Attire is a foundational visual language of every global tradition, you cannot wear a Kimono and call it Indian ethnic wear, nor can you strip a festival of its sacred aesthetic without altering its significance. If attire truly has zero bearing on cultural respect, then tomorrow is Eid. Can you wear that exact same outfit you wore in that ad and wish Eid Mubarak? You said clothes don't define the respect you have for culture in your heart. So do it and we'll take our criticism back.
Respecting a tradition means honoring its context, not commodifying it under the guise of fashion.