Happy Rakhi, but is Rakhi Sawant happy? Swiggy’s Raksha Bandhan collab wins hearts

Swiggy Instamart has plans for Rakhi, the celebrity and the festival. In its latest campaign for Raksha Bandhan, the quick commerce app has partnered with the iconic and eponymous Rakhi Sawant.

In a video titled “We got Rakhi wishing happy rakhi before rakhi,” the actor and reality TV star looks back wistfully at her younger days when she was full of promise. She shows pictures of her being part of drama and dance troupes when she was a child.  

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With a look of regret, she explains that despite donning many roles and trying her best to impress people, no one remembers her on the day of “Rakhi” or Raksha Bandhan. Eyes brimming with tears, Rakhi looks away. Cut to an upbeat Rakhi telling viewers that Swiggy Instamart has reached out to her for a Raksha Bandhan collaboration.

As part of the campaign, Rakhi will team up with Swiggy Instamart to design “rakhis” and deliver customised Raksha Bandhan messages. “Is saal mujhe bhi apni khushiyon mein shamil kar lo. Main bhi toh…aapki sister hu na (Let me be a part of your happiness this year. I too am your sister, am I not?),” she says.  

The ad showcases a more vulnerable side of the iconic Rakhi Sawant. As the film progresses, Rakhi expresses her gratitude to Swiggy Instamart, saying, "Swiggy Instamart wale kitne sweet hain," and how the platform has given her the chance to design adorable rakhis that customers can send to their siblings, along with special messages. She then adds, "This year, include me in your celebrations too, after all, I’m your sister too, right?" The film concludes with the message, ‘Make Rakhi Happy And Make Rakhi Happy!’, and Rakhi Sawant saying, ‘Happy Rakhi from Rakhi and Swiggy Instamart.’

Speaking about the film, Mayur Hola, VP, Marketing at Swiggy said, “Rakhi Sawant has always been known for her quirky and bold persona, but perhaps the real Rakhi has a wholesome and real side of her. And on rakhi (the festival), the real Rakhi is perfect to partner with for us. The idea is to playfully address how Rakhi, who once captured the media’s constant attention, feels a bit overlooked, especially on a day named after her. The campaign gives her the spotlight in a heartfelt way. To make celebration more wholesome, consumers can also enjoy Rakhi Sawant-curated rakhis and deliver personalised wishes to their siblings through Swiggy Instamart.”

After enduring years of controversy and trolling, Rakhi has been seeing a renaissance on social media – a Rakhi-ssance, if you will. She has evolved into a pap favourite and social media darling all thanks to her endearing personality that has grown on people. Her down-to-earth personality, honesty penchant for double entendres and histrionics and the capacity to not take herself seriously have made her stand out in a sea of haughty celebrities. 

This is reflected in the mostly positive comment section of the video.

The collaboration is gaining immense love from netizens with 4.8 million views on Instagram within the first 24 hours.  Netizens expressed joy over witnessing Rakhi in a new look, donning a traditional kurta. The post has gained traction from the likes of influencer Orry, Dolly Singh, Siddharth and Kusha Kapila. Applauding the collaboration, users dropped comments like, “Whoever has come up with this idea needs a raise” and “The crossover we didn’t know we needed”. Another commented, “Y’all took Rakhi’s definition quite literally.” While another commented “This the Rakhi we all wanted to see” and “Rakhi couldn’t have been more real than this”. Some users commented “Swiggy did their promotion right” while other praised the collaboration “@Swiggy Instamart you have my heart now ,this collaboration is the cutest @rakhisawant2511”. As part of Rakshabandhan, Swiggy Instamart is offering an extensive selection of over 100 unique rakhis, each available for delivery within 10 minutes.

“Rakhi deserves all the happiness button,” said one user.

“Nice to see her in good light and out of controversies,” wrote another.

“Rakhi couldn’t have been more real than this,” a user commented.

“SWIGGYYYYY yaarr ❤️ BEST collab ever thank you for taking Rakhi for this,” read another.

Analee Cerejo, a social media influencer best known for her accurate Rakhi Sawant impersonation, also expressed her joy for the actor: “Love it!! The OG @rakhisawant2511”

 Some are even excited about Rakhi's new innings as a brand ambassador after years of being the butt of jokes.