New Delhi: Actor Akshay Kumar has apologised to fans and well-wishers after people on social media trolled him for appearing in an ad for Vimal Elaichi.
Many pointed out the ad could be seen as the actor promoting a tobacco product. From amused to offended, the voices are varied. Most Twitter users said that Akshay Kumar, known for fitness, was endorsing what is essentially a gutka brand.
“I’m sorry,” the actor tweeted.
“I would like to apologise to you, all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back,” Akshay Kumar tweeted.
“I have decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause. The brand might continue airing the ads till the legal duration of the contract that is binding upon me, but I promise to be extremely mindful in making my future choices. In return, I shall forever continue to ask for your love and wishes,” he said.
The actor, on the other hand, did not specify the duration of his contract for the Vimal Elaichi commercial.
Some Twitter users shared an older video of Akshay Kumar stating that he would not do a gutka commercial. He added in the video that he had been given several such advertising but declined because he believed in the concept of a “healthy India.”
In the Vimal Elaichi commercial, Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn embrace the phrase “Bolo Zubaan Kesari” in a foreign environment surrounded by luxurious cars.
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