Reported by ALVIYA HAIDER
The latest controversy which has swayed in Bollywood one again is the Pan Masala ad. Recently, one of the most popular thespians of Bollywood Akshay Kumar is seen to be endorsing an advertisement for the brand Vimal ‘Elaichhi.’ Soon, the fans started to pour in their disappointments towards the actor for endorsing a Pan Masala brand. Akshay Kumar is one of the few actors who is popularly known as a fitness freak in Bollywood and is someone who hails the ideals of a healthy lifestyle. Although the reason for him choosing to be the face of such a brand is unknown yet all this fiasco left his image besmirched with backlashes. In lieu of all the backlashes he received from his fans, Kumar posted an apology on his social media. He even pledged to give the profit money towards a good cause and not to do such brand endorsements in the future.
Why do these celebs choose to advertise such brands?
One thing I should make it clear here is that these celebs do not directly endorse these Pan Masala ads which is detriment to one’s health. Instead, these people promote a sister brand which products like Elaichi or cardamom. However, since the two products are under the same company, it is often understood as the advertising of the other product(here, pan masala). This type of advertising is termed as Surrogate advertising. Through this, the company advertises the otherwise banned product in order to slack from the laws on the ban of Tobacco Products(done by the GOI)
According to the analysis provided by the IMARC group, The Pan Masala industry reached Rs 41,821 crore in 2021 and is gonna go up till to Rs 53,081.5 crore by 2027. This increase in the sales can be attributed to a umpteen reasons including the varieties in flavour provided by the brands.
India is one of the largest consumers and exporters of Pan masala in the global market. The consumers are provided in with the variety of choices ranging from premium to non-premium products, flashy packing, and a varieties of flavours suiting to the needs of the consumers. This is one of the reasons for the huge profit share and vast market of the Pan Masala business found in India.
In addition to these, these companies hire the “big names” from the Indian movie industry to further lure the poor and middle-class section. These celebs attribute their success and prosperous life to the ‘Elachii’ or for that matter some ‘pearls’ which are endorsed by them. Having such a widespread influence in the country, these companies use these celeb’s fanbases to popularise their products even in the remote parts of the village. Perhaps, that is why you can see the thrown packets of these pan masala even in the mountains in India. For celebrities, in addition to getting the profit shared by the companies, they even get a wider share of the audience(which will watch their films/shows in the future)
Do these celebrities hold no responsibility towards the public?
Well, it is no hidden truth that celebrities hold a lot of power to influence and empower the general public. We watch films for our actors/actresses in order to be like them, successful, powerful, and prosperous. While in films, these actors tend to play a certain ‘role’ but in the real life, the case is quite opposite. By choosing to play a part in these advertisements, they are endorsing a product which is not only injurious to health but can even take your lives. Even though these celebs are not directly endorsing a product which is detrimental to one’s health yet one knows the truth of the matter. Tobacco consumption is the major cause of death in India. Consuming tobacco gives rise to a plethora of major risks such as cancer, stroke, heart diseases, lung malfunctions, and death. Nearly, 1.35 million people die every year because of Tobacco. From this aspect, choosing certain brands cannot be termed as a ‘personal choice.’ Rather, these celebrities are needed to take a more conscious approach in choosing the mode of their influence.