On Monday, Amitabh Bachchan announced that he has terminated his contract with a pan masala brand (Kamala Pasand), saying that he wasn’t aware that it ‘falls under surrogate advertising’.
National anti-tobacco organization had requested Amitabh Bachchan to withdraw himself from the ad campaign, which promoted pan masala, saying that it would stop youngsters from getting addicted to tobacco. The actor had faced backlash for featuring in an advertisement of a paan masala brand. Several fans of the screen icon had expressed their displeasure over the actor’s decision.
Amitabh Bachchan released an official statement on his blog saying that he has dissociated himself from the brand.
“From the office of Mr Amitabh Bachchan :
“ Kamala Pasand” … a few days after the commercial was aired, Mr Bachchan contacted the brand and stepped out of it last week.
Upon checking why this sudden move – it was revealed that when Mr Bachchan became associated with the brand, he wasn’t aware that it falls under surrogate advertising –
Mr Bachchan has terminated the contract with the Brand, has written to them his termination and has returned the money received for the promotion ..”