It is a measure of how much the average Indian adores film stars that these celebrities are the most visible faces in product endorsements in the print media, TV and elsewhere. From hair oil to cooking oil to packaged beverages to convenience foods and fashion to online retail our film stars urge us to buy all sorts of things. However, there are a number of things that stars really ought not to be peddling, for the following reasons:
Paan Masala
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Some contain tobacco, some contain supari (areca nut); all paan masalas are bad for health to a lesser or larger extent and yet Ajay Devgn’s drawling baritone tells you about the glory of X paan masala each time you switch on the radio these days. Why wait till you’re issued a notice, as the Delhi government has just done to Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Arbaz Khan, Govinda and Sunny Leone?
Fairness creams
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John Abraham, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonam, Genelia D’Souza, Yami Gautam have all endorsed fairness products or products or couched in less obvious terms (white beauty cream, bleach, natural white, healthy white, white complete, white perfect etc). Thanks to all of you for perpetuating racist mindsets that discriminate against dark skin and for likening light skin with success, desirability and positivity!
Soft drinks
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These products have no nutritional merit whatsoever and mainly are a waste of money but practically every Indian film star has done a soft drink ad at some point. Find other, sensible products to endorse please… make your star appeal count for something worthwhile!
Detergent
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No matter how hard he tries, Salman Khan will not convince the average Indian that he knows anything about laundry detergent. So when he tries to sell us X brand, why should we do anything but laugh in derision!
Banians
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I’m not being snobbish here; it’s not that I feel celebs shouldn’t be endorsing something like a banian (vest). It’s just that when SRK, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan or Sunny Deol peddle underwear, it makes me wonder… aren’t they getting films to do anymore? The words how desperate are you keep going round and round in my head.
Author -Reena Daruwalla
