President Droupadi Murmu urged film celebrities to be mindful of the products they endorse, particularly those that can harm people's health. Addressing the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on Tuesday (September 22), she highlighted the influence that popular actors and artists have on children and young people.
Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 in various categories at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), near the Statue of Unity. The ceremony was attended by several prominent names from the Indian film industry.
Speaking about the influence of celebrities, the President said that artists can encourage young audiences to adopt healthier and more disciplined lifestyles. She also asked them to avoid promoting products that could have harmful effects on people's health.
"When successful artists speak about the benefits of a disciplined lifestyle, millions of children and young people emulate them. I urge popular artists not to endorse products that are harmful to people's health. A true star is the one who spreads light, not darkness," Murmu said.
Her remarks came a few days after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued show-cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff over advertisements for Vimal Elaichi, citing indirect or surrogate promotion of banned pan masala.
The industry heavily relies on surrogate advertising—promoting silver-coated cardamom or mouth fresheners to indirectly market regulated tobacco items.
For years, some of Bollywood’s biggest names have appeared in advertisements for products such as elaichi or mouth fresheners carrying the branding of pan masala companies. While the advertisements may promote a product that does not contain tobacco, critics and regulators have questioned whether such campaigns indirectly keep tobacco or pan masala brands visible to consumers.
Public-health research has also described this practice as a way of maintaining brand recall for tobacco products through apparently harmless products.
The debate is not new. Amitabh Bachchan previously faced criticism over his association with a pan masala brand and subsequently ended the endorsement deal. Reports at the time said he returned the endorsement fee. Akshay Kumar also withdrew from a pan masala endorsement following backlash.
