Actor Kareena Kapoor took a dig at luxury fashion label Prada for allegedly copying the iconic Kolhapuri chappal design. She shared a picture flaunting her original Kolhapuri footwear along with a cheeky caption.
Kareena Kapoor captioned the post, “Sorry not Prada but my OG Kolhapuri,” letting her footwear make the statement loud and clear.
The ‘Singham Again’ actor’s post comes shortly after Prada sparked controversy by showcasing footwear that bore a striking resemblance to traditional Kolhapuri chappals, without acknowledging their Indian roots. The footwear was simply called leather sandals.
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The Kolhapuri Chappal holds deep cultural significance, forms an essential part of India’s
heritage, and is named after the district of Kolhapur, where it is primarily produced.
In response to the move by Prada, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court, demanding compensation for Kolhapuri chappal artisans, whose work the plea claims has been copied without acknowledgment.
The plea was filed by a group of advocates from Mumbai and Pune who work in the field of intellectual property rights. The plea, led by Advocate Ganesh S Hingmire, also seeks a direction to Prada Group and Prada India Fashion Private Limited to issue a public apology, acknowledging the unauthorised use of the "Kolhapuri Chappal" GI product, and to commit that no unauthorised use of GIs will occur in the future.