Actor Akshay Kumar has stood down as an ambassador after facing controversy for endorsing Vimal Elaichi, a pan masala company. At 12 a.m., the actor apologised to his followers on Twitter, stating he would be more vigilant about the products he promotes in the future.
Akshay tweeted, “I am sorry. I would like to apologise to you, all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back. I have decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause. The brand might continue airing the ads till the legal duration of the contract that is binding upon me, but I promise to be extremely mindful in making my future choices. In return I shall forever continue to ask for your love and wishes.” In the brand’s most recent promo, Akshay was seen with Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan.
In a recent ad, Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh were all chewing on cardamon as they welcomed Akshay to the ‘Vimal’ cosmos. This did not sit well with fans, who claimed that the performers were encouraging bad behaviours. On social media, old footage of the actor swearing never to promote such things began to circulate. To promote items like ‘gutka,’ Vimal uses surrogate advertising.
When questioned about similar backlash at a media appearance, Ajay Devgn remarked, “It is a personal choice.” “When you do something, you also realise how detrimental it may be,” he continued. Some substances are dangerous, whereas others are not. I was doing elaichi and would say it without naming it since I didn’t want to promote it. More than commercials, I believe that if some items are so terrible, they should not be marketed.”
