Deepika Padukone trolled for wearing 'hijab' in Abu Dhabi tourism ad

Indian actor Deepika Padukone recently appeared in a commercial for Experience Abu Dhabi and received criticism from netizens for her attire. 

For the ad, under the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, she joined her husband and frequent co-star Ranveer Singh as its regional brand ambassador, NDTV reports.

In the video clip, the couple -- spotted in casual, western wear -- is seen sharing a laugh over a sculpture in the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, followed by taking in the architecture of the city's iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. During their visit to the mosque, Deepika Padukone is seen wearing a red-coloured outfit that covers her entire body, except her face and hands, and Ranveer Singh is sporting a black suit.

In a few hours, Deepika Padukone started trending on social media with several X accounts slamming the actor for wearing the garment wrongly identified as a 'hijab', when in fact, it is an abaya.

Harking back to her 2015 short film for Vogue My Choice, where she endorsed women's empowerment whether it was about how they dress, live or socialise, a user said whatever happened to one's choice.

Several accounts posted similar posts.

But then there were some of her fans that rallied behind Deepika Padukone, saying she has always respected cultural norms and she just did that when she appeared in the Abu Dhabi Tourism ad.

Every woman visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque must wear long, loose-fitting, ankle-length clothes and a headscarf.

Many pointed out how Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have visited scores of temples in the past on several occasions, be it on the wedding anniversary or ahead of their daughter's arrival last year.

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh visited the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh's Tirumala and the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in 2019, honouring their roots.

Deepika Padukone is yet to issue any statement on the recent trolling.