Sunny Deol has made it clear that pan masala advertisements are something he would never associate himself with. His comment has come at a time when Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have received a notice from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allegedly indirectly promoting pan masala.
‘I will never do pan masala ads’
In a recent conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on his YouTube channel, the actor opened up about his take on brand endorsements and why he has often turned down offers to promote products he does not believe in. One of them is pan masala ads. He said, “I don’t do pan masala ads and kabhi karunga bhi nahi (I will never do pan masala ads). I wouldn’t do any of those things. Aatey hai but nahi karunga (I get offers but I won’t do it). I don’t want to do something which I don’t believe in. Main in sab cheezon ko manta nahi hoon (I don’t agree with these things). I don’t think this is a good thing to promote.”
‘My conscience doesn’t allow it’
Sunny linked his decision to avoid doing pan masala ads to his principles and shared that he has maintained the same principles in other aspects of his professional decisions. He revealed that there are things he has outrightly refused simply because his conscience did not permit him. “Kitni cheezein nahi karta because mera zameer nahi manta isliye aur jo karni hoti hai voh kar leta hoon (There are so many things I don’t do because my conscience doesn’t allow it, and the ones that need to be done, I simply do),” he said.
Shah Rukh, Ajay get FDA notice
Sunny’s comment has come at a time when Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff are being questioned by the FDA for allegedly indirectly promoting pan masala, a prohibited product in Maharashtra. The three actors had come together for an advertisement promoting Vimal’s elaichi (cardamom) in 2024. Vimal is a brand associated with pan masala products.
The FDA says that the campaign could amount to surrogate or indirect promotion of prohibited pan masala or tobacco-related products. The show-cause notice also gives them 15 days from the date of receipt to submit a written explanation. The FDA warned that if no explanation is received, or if the explanation is found to be unsatisfactory, further action may be initiated under applicable law.
About Batwara 1947
Sunny Deol’s latest film, Batwara 1947, is currently running in theatres. The film is bankrolled by Aamir Khan and marks the reunion of Sunny with director Rajkumar Santoshi after nearly 30 years, following their 1996 film Ghatak. The film, however, has received underwhelming reviews from both audiences and critics.
