Explained: Why Akshay Kumar is getting trolled for reports of actor endorsing a pan masala brand

Pan masala is the go-to avenue for brand endorsement for Indian film stars these days. From Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn to Tiger Shroff, Mahesh Babu, and Ranveer Singh, almost every third big star has jumped on the pan masala bandwagon.

Now, there are reports that Akshay Kumar is the latest to join the pan masala extended universe. In a new promo posted on the Instagram handle of a pan masala brand, SRK and Devgn are seen talking about a new “khiladi” in town. A silhouette then appears, which looks like Kumar’s, enjoying the pan masala.

Check out the Instagram post of the pan masala brand here 

While there is no official confirmation if Kumar has signed the brand, there are enough hints to suggest he has.

Why are fans trolling Akshay Kumar?

Kumar isn’t the first megastar to endorse a pan masala brand. But the reason he is getting trolled is because of his statement years ago, on the trend of actors endorsing pan masala brands.

At a press conference, Kumar had said, “The audience should know who to follow or who not to. But yes, what’s wrong is wrong. Actors shouldn’t endorse these products because people watch them and follow them.”

Here’s the video that has gone viral now after reports of Kumar signing a pan masala brand

Listen! ALL INDIA HEALTH & FITNESS EXPERT @akshaykumar's Views on Tobacco Advertisements, a Few Yrs Back 🤣

& Now He Has Joined The 'VIMAL UNIVERSE', Hypocrite Much @akshaykumar? Ab kya Vimal khaane se Bones aur Muscles Fit Hone lagenge 😭 pic.twitter.com/AiYTLJFH5l

— YOGESH (@i_yogesh22) April 13, 2022

Fans are calling out Kumar’s hypocrisy, and criticising him for backtracking on his statement because he reportedly got paid  a fat cheque  by the brand.

Has Akshay Kumar endorsed a pan masala brand before?

Back in 2017, Kumar was seen endorsing a pan masala brand.

Former Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification, filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani had criticised Kumar for doing so.

He said then , “Akshay has a very clean image. He is seen as a hero of the masses. Then why is he promoting a brand of pan masala?”

However, by that time, Kumar had not made the above statement that he did when his contemporaries Devgn and SRK started endorsing the pan masala brand he is reportedly associated with now.

Other instances of actors getting backlash for endorsing pan masala brands

Most famously, former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan endorsed a pan masala brand in his 007 avatar back in 2016.

When the commercial got wide flak, especially because of an international celebrity of stature like Brosnan endorsing the product, the actor later clarified that the brand cheated him into the deal as he was not aware that pan masala was “hazardous.”

In another similar instance, Amitabh Bachchan withdrew from a commercial he did with Ranveer Singh to promote a pan masala brand last year.

Bachchan clarified that he has returned his brand endorsement fees as he did not know that the endorsement lies under the objectional umbrella of surrogate advertising.

What’s surrogate advertising?

It’s a form of advertising that’s used to promote hazardous products like alcohol and tobacco in the guise of another product.

The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995 forbids the CBFC to clear tobacco and alcohol ads. So the pan masala brands advertising their products mostly falls under surrogate advertising.

Zubaan Kesari

Ending on a lighter note, we leave you with some memes reacting to the news of the Kesari actor endorsing a pan masala brand.

Who did This ?
🤣🤣🤣 #AkshayKumar #VimalPanMasala pic.twitter.com/h0eLyU49Th

— Vijay Shah 🔃 (@OfficialVijayJi) April 13, 2022

#AkshayKumar Vimal Ad :-
💥😁A Series Of Events pic.twitter.com/R23TEAfPhn

— 🇦 🇷 🇦 🇻 GURJAR 🇦 🇯 fan (@Arab84141451) April 14, 2022

#AkshayKumar #Vimal pic.twitter.com/MpXLlxwbaf

— Sushanta Biswas (@Sushanta9800) April 14, 2022

#AkshayKumar #Vimal pic.twitter.com/5tyUZlPm9c

— Sushanta Biswas (@Sushanta9800) April 14, 2022

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