John Abraham slams celebrities endorsing paan masala amid health claims

Bollywood actor John Abraham recently expressed his severe disapproval of fellow actors in the profession who support products that have long been controversial, such as gutka and paan masala. When John spoke on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast, he denounced the approach of encouraging fitness and health while also supporting drugs.

The actor said, "I have no patience for the actors who promote health on the one hand and endorse paan masala on the other. I would never want to sell death."

He continued by saying that the thing that truly sets him apart from other celebrities is his dedication to being real in his public persona.

"If I live my life with honesty, and if I practice what I preach, then I'm a role model. But if I'm presenting a fake version of myself in public and behaving like a different person behind their back, they'll spot it," he said.

John further emphasized the astounding size of the paan masala sector, pointing out its yearly revenue of ₹45,000 crore and the apparent backing it receives from the government.

He said, "People talk about fitness, and the same people endorse paan masala. I love all my actor friends, and I'm not disrespecting any of them. I want to make it clear that I'm talking about myself.”

“But I will not sell death; it's a matter of principle. Do you know that the yearly turnover for the paan masala industry is ₹45,000 crore? You're selling death. How can you live with it?" he added.

Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Shah Rukh Khan are among the celebrities who have come under fire for their affiliation with gutka and paan masala businesses. After starring with Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan in an advertisement for Vimal Elaichi in 2022, Akshay Kumar issued a public apology.

He made it clear that although he has never supported tobacco, he has subsequently retracted the endorsement out of respect for his fans' feelings.

"These ads were shot on Oct 13, 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," he wrote on X.