Marathi actress Varsha Usgaonkar apologises to Koli community over ad claiming fisherwomen sell stale fish

Marathi actress Varsha Usgaonkar tendered an unconditional apology to the Koli community of Maharashtra after being slammed for advertisement targetting fishermen.

In the ad, Varsha can be seen saying that she has often been cheated by Koli fisherwomen who sold her stale and smelly pomfret. She then urges consumers to buy fresh fish via an app instead of getting it from the fishermen.

Within no time, the video went viral on the internet, and the Koli community expressed their disappointment over the same.

Varsha has now put out another video, but this time, for apologising to the fishermen. "I apologise if I have inadvertently hurt the sentiments of the Koli community. I hold them in deep respect," she said.

According to a report in Times of India, Devendra Tandel, the president of the Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti stated that they will not slap Varsha with a legal notice as she has already apologised, but will still file an official police complaint against her for hurting the sentiments of the Kolis.

The advertisement has now been deleted by the makers.

Varsha Usgaonkar is a very popular name in Marathi cinema. She shot to fame in 1984 as the lead heroine in the super-hit Marathi stage play 'Brahmachari'. She quickly rose to one of the top actress in the Marathi film industry with super-hits such as 'Gammat Jammat', 'Hamal De Dhamal', 'Saglikade Bombabomb', 'Sawat Majhi Ladki', 'Shejari Shejari', 'Ek Hota Vidushak', 'Lapandav' and 'Aflatoon'.

She has also acted in the Bollywood movie 'Mangal Pandey: The Rising'.