Pan masala is much in the news these days. The product may be banned but those pouches are still available clandestinely and millions continue to be addicted and continue to suffer the consequences in the form of mouth cancers. Manufacturers such as Vimal use celebrities to endorse what is essentially gukta: betel nut, chewing tobacco, flavouring and other ingredients (paan masala is just a euphemism). With Akshay Kumar embroiled in the Vimal ad fiasco, this once again focuses attention on ways that companies circumvent bans and use surrogate advertising.
A YouTube channel by the name of Mrityunjay Sharma made this video that mocks the claim made by Vimal about the use of Kesar or saffron in their products. He also ‘unboxes’ the product(s). This shows us how companies circumvent the law to sell their products in spite of bans being in place. When states ban these products, manufacturers respond by separating the components of the product which users buy separately and then mix together and use.
The video has really resonated with viewers and has attracted attention recently though it was first uploaded in 2018. Now with Akshay Kumar also getting into the act of selling paan masala flavoured cardamom, there was a great deal of controversy, particularly in view of Kumar’s previously stated stand on celebs endorsing products such as these.
Though the celebs purport to endorse X product, there is no doubt that they are actually endorsing Y. That would actually be a completely different product that cannot be advertised by law. So, celebs appear to be endorsing sparkling water but in reality, are promoting alcohol products. They say it is cardamom they're endorsing but in fact, are endorsing smokeless tobacco products.
Kumar positions himself as a champion of fitness and clean living and is famous for choosing not to consume intoxicants of any kind. He has also been a vocal opponent of smoking via PSAs shown in theatres before movies and so on. After the uproar that greeted Akshay Kumar endorsing a Vimal product, the actor has apologised and withdrawn from the endorsement. He also said that he had “decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause.”
Though he has said he would step back, as of now, the Vimal ad featuring Ajay Devgn, SRK and Akshay Kumar is still available on YouTube on the Vimal Elaichi channel. One comment below the video says, “From "Kesari"...to "Zubaan Kesari" Akshay sir has come long way”. Clearly, this is a tongue in cheek reference to how such an endorsement runs counter to the nationalistic movies and movies about social causes that he is known to star in, Kesari being one of them.
Many of the comments below the video are something akin to – “How many of you are here after seeing Akshay Kumar in VIMAL ad”. So clearly it is not just the endorsement of a product that has irked people, but the holier than thou attitude that the celebrity has assumed prior to this. It is strange how an ad for gutka masquerading as an ad for elaichi and featuring some top celebs has given new life to old videos --- such as the video of the unboxing of a gutka paan masala sachet
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