Snehashish roy
Akshay Kumar found himself in an amusing spot when a journalist brought up the ongoing controversy over celebrity endorsements of pan masala and asked him a cheeky question at a recent Acer event. Instead of answering directly, the actor burst into laughter.
The incident took place at an Acer promotional event on August 20, where Akshay was introduced as the technology company’s new brand ambassador in India. During the media interaction, a female journalist linked his new association with the ongoing debate around Bollywood stars endorsing products associated with pan masala.
“Sab kesar bech rahe hain, aap Acer bech rahe hain?” the journalist asked, referring to the saffron-flavoured ingredient used in some mouth-freshener products and the controversy surrounding pan masala advertisements.
The unexpected question left Akshay visibly amused. Rather than offering a detailed response, the actor simply broke into laughter. A video of the exchange subsequently surfaced online and quickly attracted attention.
The question came against the backdrop of the latest controversy involving Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff. The three actors recently received show-cause notices from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.
The Maharashtra FDA has raised concerns that advertisements for associated mouth-freshener products could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of pan masala. The department has said that misleading advertisements can attract action under food-safety regulations.
The controversy has revived the larger debate over whether celebrities should endorse products that are linked to tobacco or pan masala, even when the advertisement technically promotes a different product such as elaichi or mouth freshener.
Akshay Kumar is particularly relevant to the discussion because he was previously associated with the Vimal campaign. He eventually stepped away from the endorsement after facing widespread criticism over his association with the brand. He later apologised for appearing in the advertisement and said he would no longer endorse such products.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has previously stressed that responsibility for misleading advertising does not rest only with manufacturers. Advertisers and other parties involved in promoting a product can also come under regulatory scrutiny.