Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor’s jewellery brand, Palmonas has been accused of plagiarising designs from French luxury brand, Cartier. The controversy first started in a Reddit thread as users alleged the jewellery by Palmonas were “copied” designs of Carter.
What is Palmonas?
The demi-fine jewellery brand, Palmonas was launched in 2022. The direct-to-consumer (D2C) startup was founded by orthopaedic surgeon-turned-entrepreneur Dr Amol Patwari. Later the actor joined the business as a co-owner. Shraddha’s brand makes jewellery with less expensive materials such as sterling silver and stainless steel, coated with 18-carat gold.
The brand was formed to offer affordable luxury to fashion-conscious women. With gold prices escalating every year, Palmonas offers skin-friendly, high-quality jewellery at an affordable price.
However, the recent allegations and criticism by netizens have shed a negative light on the actor-led startup.
Some of her fans expressed disappointment while others made fun of the Bollywood star.
An individual humorously remarked, “Plagiarism should just rebrand as ‘making things affordable.’”
Another user wrote, "They have better resources to make original designs. Why does a celebrity need to make knock off designs so normal people can afford it? It’s embarrassing.”
The backlash didn’t stop there. Referencing a well-known advertisement, a user commented, “Once a legend said 'Reebok Nahi, Rebuk he Sahi.'”
Another person reasoned, "Everyone copies nothing new. And if Shraddha doesn't sell us the copies, how will she get the original ones for herself?"
Further adding to the humour to the situation, a fan poked fun at Shraddha’s father, Shakti Kapoor, saying, “Crimemaster Gogo ki beti se yahi ummeed thi,” a reference to his iconic role in the 1994 Bollywood blockbuster Andaz Apna Apna.
Though some fans tried defending their favourite Bollywood actor, a social media user went on to say, “If this was Alia they would've booked her for jail .”
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