Since Wednesday, Akshay Kumar has been making news and trending on social media after apologising for promoting a popular elaichi brand. Akshay wrote in a tweet, “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 Akshay’s apology has caused a stir on social media, Ajay Devgn, who also appears in the ad, has chimed in on the debate. Ajay was questioned how celebrities frequently suffer criticism for the brands they chose to endorse in an interview with Indian Express.
Commenting on the same, he said, “It is a personal choice. When you do something, you also see how harmful it would be. Somethings are harmful, some are not. I would say it without naming it because I don’t want to promote it; I was doing elaichi. What I feel is more than advertisements, if certain things are so wrong, then they should not be sold.”
While Akshay, Ajay, and even Shah Rukh Khan starred in the elaichi commercial, the firm uses’surrogate advertising’ to promote its products. This indicates that the brand is using this kind of promotion to sell a different product while masquerading as cigarettes and tobacco.
Akshay also declared that he is stepping down from the endorsement arrangement in addition to his apologies. “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,” the actor’s statement read.
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