New Delhi: Actor Anil Kapoor recently turned down an advertisement for a paan masala brand worth a whopping Rs 10 crore! In doing so, he joined the club of Allu Arjun and Kartik Aaryan who have also refused such an endorsement. As per Pinkvilla, Anil took the step as he “believes he has a responsibility towards his fans”. Earlier, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Shah Rukh faced criticism for endorsing paan masala brands. Later, Akshay announced that he would not be part of such ads.
Pinkvilla, citing its source, reported, “Yes, Anil Kapoor was approached by a major pan masala company with a tempting offer. However, he was quick to decline. He believes he has a responsibility towards his fans and the wider audience and feels strongly about not endorsing products that could potentially harm public health, regardless of the monetary compensation.”
Others in the same league include:
Kartik Aaryan
Earlier this year, speaking with The Lallantop, Kartik revealed rejecting ‘supari’ and other endorsements. He had added that he felt it was ‘wrong’. The actor had said, “I have been offered a lot of brands that I have refused. Like those supari, pan masala brands. I don’t relate to those things. And I try that as long as I can, I refuse these things. I can’t say who is right or wrong, everyone has their own way of thinking. But this doesn’t fit my plans.”
The actor has always shied away from endorsing tobacco, pan and liquor brands. Last year in December, a report by Gulte stated that Allu Arjun turned down a similar brand placement deal for his upcoming film. On-screen, when the actor smokes, drinks, or chews, the brand wantedd its logo to be seen in the same frame. They had even offered Rs 10 crore reportedly.
But as he wasn’t comfortable with promoting such brands, he turned down the offer. After Pushpa’s success, too, Allu Arjun was offered a hefty amount by a tobacco company for a TV commercial for one of their products. But Allu had turned down the offer since he doesn’t consume tobacco.
The actor will be next seen in Pushpa: The Rule, directed by Sukumar. The film will be released in theatres on December 6. Allu, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil will reprise their roles as Pushpa Raj, Srivalli, and Bhanwar Singh Shekawat respectively in the film.
Yash
In 2022, Yash refused a multi-crore endorsement deal for a paan masala and cardamom brand. Exceed Management, the agency that manages endorsement deals fo Yash, had issued a statement. A part of it read, “Recently we declined a double-digit multi crore offer from a pan masala brand and are going to be extremely mindful on who we associate with. Given his pan-India appeal, we want use this opportunity to give right kind of messaging to his fans and followers and invest our time and sweat with brands which have a conscience, are like minded and want to play the long game, just like the man himself.”
Yash will soon be seen in Geetu Mohandas’ Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-ups. Yash is also one of the producers of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi-starrer Ramayana.
The duo has also said that they will never endorse paan masala brands. John had slammed actors endorse such brands, likening it to promoting a harmful product that can lead to health issues. He had added that he won’t “sell death, because it’s a matter of principle”. Ammy said, “won’t do a paan masala ad just for money or success”.
