You won't see Akshay Kumar-Nandu's anti-smoking ad in theaters anymore
What's the story
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to pull the plug on the anti-smoking advertisement featuring Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar and a character named Nandu. The public service announcement (PSA), which was earlier screened before every Hindi film on CBFC's orders, has been replaced with a new one. The new advertisement highlights the health benefits of quitting tobacco in just 20 minutes, reported Bollywood Hungama.
Ad update
New anti-smoking ad started rolling in October
The new anti-smoking advertisement started rolling in October and has been included in recent films such as Alia Bhatt's Jigra and Rajkummar Rao-Triptii Dimri's Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, both of which have smoking scenes. The discontinued ad stars actor Ajay Pal from Madhya Pradesh along with Kumar. Pal had previously worked as an extra on Kumar's 2018 film Pad Man and was later invited to participate in the anti-smoking campaign.
Ad history
Kumar's anti-smoking ad first aired in 2018
For those unaware, the discontinued advertisement with Kumar and Pal first aired during the release of Kumar's 2018 film Gold. In this PSA, Kumar tells a character named Nandu to quit smoking and suggests using the money saved from not buying cigarettes to buy sanitary pads for his wife. The message also served as a promotion for Pad Man, another film starring Kumar.
Ad mandate
Anti-smoking ads in Indian cinema: A brief history
In 2012, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting made it mandatory for films with smoking scenes to show anti-smoking ads before the movie and after the interval. The first such ad featured Mukesh Harane, a young man who died from cancer due to tobacco use. These ads were updated from time to time, with Kumar's ad being added in 2018 for films with smoking scenes.