Akshay Kumar breaks silence amid row over surrogate pan masala ad

Akshay Kumar has clarified his position on Twitter with a long statement on why he is still appearing in the Pan-masala ad in spite of him having publicly announced his disassociation with the brand

Akshay Kumar's recent ad with Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn for pan masala brand Vimal has once again created controversy. Akshay had stepped down as the brand ambassador of Vimal last year because of fan criticism.

But, with his new ad, his fans are currently calling him a ‘hypocrite’. After the news went viral, Akshay has taken to social media to explain what is happening. He said that the ad was shot in 2021 and gave a brief clarification about the legal allowance to run ads that were at that point recorded for the rest of the next month. 

Akshay Kumar statement amid Pan masala ad: Insight

Akshay explained that he remains true to his words and people shouldn't worry about the new ad which was shot way back when he was still connected with the brand. The actor further said that the brand has the legal right to utilize his presence until the agreement is finished.

He wrote on X (Twitter), “‘Returns’ as ambassador? Here’s some fact check for you Bollywood Hungama, if by chance you are interested in things other than fake news. These ads were shot on 13th October, 2021. I have not had anything to do with the brand ever since I publicly announced the discontinuation of the endorsement. They can legally run the already shot ads till the end of next month. Chill and do some real news (sic).”

Akshay Kumar in the Vimal pan masala ad: Overview 

Akshay has been the face of the anti-smoking public service campaign even before the screening of the films. He is also connected with numerous other health campaigns and is famous for promoting a healthy way of life.

Recently, a large number of his followers and fans claimed it was odd for him to promote a tobacco brand while at the same time support a healthy lifestyle. Later, he made an official announcement saying 'sorry' for his relationship with the brand.

Today, both Ajay and Shah Rukh Khan keep on being the face of the brand. The actor has previously maintained that he doesn't promote tobacco, however, he appears in the ad for ‘elaichi’ (cardamom).