New Delhi: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who turned 79 on Monday, has announced that he has pulled out of an advertising campaign for a pan masala brand and has given back the money received for its promotion.
Known as the ‘Star of the Millennium’ for his huge superstardom, Bachchan has a huge fan following. Recently, the 79-year-old actor received backlash for starring in an advertisement for a pan masala brand. Many fans of the veteran actor expressed their displeasure over his decision.
In a blog post addressed by “Amitabh Bachchan’s Office” on Sunday night, he explained his association with the brand and said that he is no longer concerned with the promotions.
“A few days after the ad aired, Bachchan contacted the brand and walked out of it last week. Why this sudden move was investigated – it turned out that when Bachchan was associated with the brand, he was not aware that it was under it. Comes the surrogate ad.”
“Bachchan has terminated the contract with the brand, has written to them for their termination and has returned the money received for the promotion,” the post read.
In fact, last month, an NGO National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) had also appealed to Bachchan not to be a part of advertisements promoting pan masala brands.
Through an open letter, Dr Shekhar Salkar, chairman of the note, had said that the actor should withdraw from the “surrogate” pan masala ads and support the cause of the anti-tobacco movement.
Bachchan entered the industry with his debut in 1969 Saat Hindustani and made an illustrious career entertaining audiences for over 50 years.
Early in his career, the actor appeared in several critically and commercially acclaimed films. Also known as the ‘Angry Young Man’ of Bollywood, he brought his signature charm to the characters he played. However, in the latter part of his career, Bachchan became experimental and continued to innovate with diverse roles.
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