Cult.fit's 'Jaa Simran Jaa' advertisement taken down from YouTube after Yash Raj Films flags it for copyright infringement

• Cult.fit’s latest campaign ‘Fitness is not an option’ gives a hilarious twist to famous Bollywood scenes.
• However, its ‘Jaa Simran Jaa’ advertisement has been taken down from YouTube after being flagged by Yash Raj Films for violating copyright.
• In a statement sent to Advertising and Media, Cult.fit says that the advertisement was produced and released after all due diligence.

Cult.fit’s latest advertisement that introduced a hilarious twist to the iconic scene from Shahrukh Khan and Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, has been taken down from YouTube. It featured a reenactment of the ‘train scene’ from the film.

The video was flagged by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s Production Company, Yash Raj Films for violating copyright. YouTube’s error reads, “The video contains content from YRF, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”

In its campaign, 'Fitness is not an option', the female protagonist, who reenacts Simran from DDLJ, can be seen running towards the hero, only, she is too unfit to get onto that train, something many of us leading such unhealthy lifestyles will relate to immediately. As Simran makes a dash for the moving train, she starts panting and wheezing. She gives up and tells her partner that she will catch the next train to meet him the next day.

Cult.fit has also deleted the advertisement and announcement posters referencing DDLJ from Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The campaign is produced by Supari Studios.

However, Cult.fit said that the advertisement was released after all due diligence.

"At Cult.fit, our focus through various marketing campaigns has been to resonate with our audience and create something relatable and memorable. We often lean on popular culture which has time and again proven to be impactful. We've taken a similar approach for our latest campaign - ‘Fitness is not an option’. The ad was produced and released after all due diligence done from our end. The response to it has been exceptional overall and we amassed over a million views on Instagram in less than 48 hours," Cult.fit's spokesperson told Advertising and Media Insider.

The same campaign also puts a twist to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’s (ZNMD) last scene ‘The Bull race.’ It features comedians Rahul Subramanian, Aadar Malik and Rahul Dua as Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol.

Although, the once-bitten brand played it safe this time. Despite clear resemblance with ZNMD characters, it added a disclaimer that says, “The production is only for promotional purposes and all characters herein are fictitious and similarity with an actual person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.”