Amitabh Bachchan Cancels Contract with Kamala Pasand
Amitabh Bacchan has recently cancelled his contract with Kamala Pasand, which is a brand which makes tobacco products. He did this because tobacco is injurious to health.
Kamala Pasand is a company that makes many types of Tobacco products like paan masala, silver coated elaichi, etc.
Recently in September 2021 an Advertisement was released for Kamla Pasand Silver coated elaichi. Amitabh Bachchan and Ranveer Singh acted in this AD.
In 2003, The Government of India enacted its comprehensive tobacco control law, the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA 2003) (prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution), to reduce tobacco use.
In reality advertisements on TV, hoardings, etc. for tobacco products like paan masala, cigarettes or even alcohol products are not allowed, because these products are injurious to health. However, companies still want to advertise these products because they want to earn money. So what they do is make advertisements which indirectly promote their products. This is called ‘Surrogate Advertising’
The Amitabh Bachchan AD about the silver coated elaichi is the perfect example of surrogate advertising.
Similarly you must have seen Priyanka Chopra in an AD for Blenders Pride which is a Whiskey Company, Shah Rukh Khan in Royal Stag Ads, Saif Ali Khan for Pan Bahar Paan Masala, etc.
Nowadays this has become very common.
However, when the Big B AD came out, people were shocked and said that it was wrong of him to promote such a harmful product. This has not happened for the first time.
Earlier when someone had objected to Bachchan, he had said he is just doing his job of acting and there is nothing wrong with it. However, this time the controversy became very big.
Shekhar Salkar, President National Organization For Tobacco Eradication sent a letter to Amitabh which said :
Big B is the government brand ambassador for the pulse polio campaign. He should not be involved in such ADs as many youngsters were getting addicted to Paan Masala and it is very bad for health. He should not act in such ADs as he is so famous and people will surely buy the products. This is why he must step down.
Due to this letter and the entire controversy, Amitabh said he will not work with Kamala Pasand anymore and has returned the amount paid to him for the AD as well. He said that when he signed the contract, he was not aware that Kamala Pasand falls under the ‘Surrogate Advertisement’. He thought it was only an AD for silver elaichi and not the other products.
