Actor Kartik Aaryan is making his stance clear when it comes to advertising choices. Unlike some Bollywood stars, he has turned down lucrative offers to endorse paan masala brands. In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Kartik revealed that, despite tempting offers, he refused to promote such products.
“I have refused paan masala ads,” Kartik shared. “They tempted me with a lot of things, but I was never tempted to do that at all,” he added.
Kartik’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 co-star, Vidya Balan, joined the conversation with a humorous comparison, noting that his “competition” was between a paan masala ad and a condom ad, making Kartik burst into laughter. Vidya pointed out that Kartik made a positive choice by endorsing a health product, rather than paan masala. Kartik, regaining his composure, added, “Yes, that’s exactly what I chose. Safety first.”
The debate over celebrities endorsing paan masala is not new. In 2022, Akshay Kumar faced backlash after promoting a tobacco brand and later apologized. He promised to be more cautious, stepped down as the brand ambassador, and donated his endorsement fee to charity. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn continue to feature in the same ad campaign.
Ajay Devgn, when questioned about promoting such products, defended it as a “personal choice” and emphasized that consumers can make informed decisions. He added, “Some things are harmful, some are not… I was doing elaichi (cardamom).” Devgn also noted that if certain products are so harmful, they shouldn’t be available on the market.
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