In a recent statement, actor Pierce Brosnan has said that the Indian mouth freshener brand that had employed him to promote its brand has cheated him. When asked why he advertised Pan Bahar, which is linked with an addictive form of tobacco, the actor said that the company did not disclose the hazardous nature of the product.
The company, ‘Ashok and Co’ has not replied to the actor’s statement, but told BBC in 2016 that there was no tobacco in the product. All the advertisements of tobacco products have been banned by the Indian Law.
According to SK Arora, a Delhi health official said that MrBrosnanhad assured the government that his association with the brand was over and he also agreed to help further against similar campaigns in the future as well.
Apart from this, he also had condemned the unauthorized use of his image in the ad for Pan Bahar in 2016. Many Indians were unhappy with the incidents and questioned Pierce Brosnan for endorsing a product associated with cancer. The actor has objected the ad that still continues to be aired on Indian channels and cinemas. He wants the Indian channels to stop airing the ad from the word go.
Associated with pan masala and gutka, the brand ‘Pan Bahar’ is a mixture of tobacco, crushed betel nut, lime and clove among other ingredients. The people become addicted to it and it is chewed by millions in India. They chew these ingredients before spitting out a bright red stream. The mildly psychotropic effects can not only lead to addiction but cause several other problems as well.
Talking about the contract, MrBrosnan told ‘People Magazine’ that he had agreed to advertise a single product as per contract which included a breath freshener that contained no tobacco or any harmful ingredients. He hadn’t signed for anything that containspan masala orgutka.
The chewing of pan masala and gutka can cause cancer and these products have been banned in several states of India and a number of campaigns have been started throughout the country to create awareness.
