Kartik Aaryan said 'NO' to Rs. 9 crore offer; actor turned down Paan masala endorsement
Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan had stubbornly declined a tempting offer to promote Paan Masala when seniors like Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar were openly promoting gutka, paan masala to the nation.
FollowKartik Aaryan has been able to impress the public with his personality and charm, in addition to winning hearts with his endearing portrayal in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. The actor has recently turned down a pan masala brand endorsement, which is reportedly worth Rs 9 crores.
Kartik Aaryan has steadfastly declined a tempting offer to endorse Paan Masala, claims a report published on an entertainment website. When the website checked this news with a prominent ad guru, he committed by saying, “That’s right. Kartik Aaryan has said no to around Rs. 8-9 crore offer to endorse paan masala. Kartik seems to have principles, a rare commodity in today’s actors who suffer from the gift of the ‘grab’. Saying no to such big money is not easy. But Kartik is conscious of his responsibility as a youth icon.”
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Kartik Aayan's resolve to refrain from endorsing dangerous items is also praised by producer and former chair of the censor board Pahlaj Nihalani. "Paan masala is claiming lives. The nation's health would undoubtedly suffer due to Bollywood role models encouraging the consumption of gutka and paan masala.
When senior superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar, who should know better, are promoting cancer (a.k.a gutka, paan masala) to the nation, Kartik has firmly said no to the tempting offer.
Pahlaj further said it is unlawful and unconstitutional to broadcast alcohol and paan masala advertisements. The CBFC is not lawfully permitted to certify paan masala and alcohol advertisements. As a result, it is unlawful to broadcast these items' advertisements. Actors who appear in such advertisements should be aware that they are engaging in criminal activities.
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Akshay Kumar made news a few months ago after controversy erupted over his promotion of a pan masala brand. On Twitter, the actor expressed regret to his followers and promised to be more selective regarding the brands he supported in the future.
This is not the first time a famous person has found themselves in a similar predicament. Amitabh Bachchan walked out of an endorsement deal with a well-known pan masala brand in October 2021, on his 79th birthday, after getting backlash on social media.
The Bollywood celebrity, who starred with actor Ranveer Singh in a commercial for this brand's "silver-coated cardamom seeds," claimed he was unaware the advertisement was surrogate advertising when it was filmed. In addition, he returned the payment received from the endorsement.
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The former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan appeared in a commercial for another pan masala manufacturer in 2016. He claimed that the company tricked him by neglecting to warn him about the risks associated with their product. On the other hand, the company made it clear that the mouth freshener Brosnan marketed should not be mistaken for chewing tobacco.
