Nowadays, it takes less than a tweet or a post by the right influencer to spark a tsunami of reflective responses and a nationwide uproar. A half-understood phrase, a slight off-centre thinking, a fresh idea before its time, a misunderstood ad campaign, a brand name that someone feels is offensive — and the dominoes fall. The most recent casualty in this landmine of unprovoked hypersensitivity is Trikal, a whisky by Khaitan, whose name and visual cues, including blues and spiritual motifs, as well as the name in a suggestive Sanskrit style, led to an avalanche of outrage, forced apologies, and ultimately, a soft withdrawal from the market—not mentioning the sharp 7% drop in stock prices and brand consultants eagerly eyeing the assignment to recover and control damage to the brand equity. Perhaps nothing else, but the three-eyed depiction of the three kaal led to this outcry.

Unfortunately (and I use the term with intent), we live in an age where offence is taken more enthusiastically than coffee used to be served in IT offices. Trikal was caught in the crosshairs of this mood. The name of the whisky meant ‘past, present and future’—enough to trap it into a social media storm for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. “How dare they name an alcohol brand after something spiritual?” was a........

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