John Abraham slams actors for endorsing ‘paan masala’

John Abraham couldn’t contain his disdain for colleagues in the film industry who endorsed ‘paan masala’ and ‘gutka’. This has been a long-running debate among fans of certain movie stars, who appear in advertisements endorsing addictive items, with some of them even distancing themselves from ‘paan masala’ brands after public pressure. Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan are among the most high-profile stars to have participated in covert advertisements for ‘paan masala’ and ‘gutka’ brands.

Appearing on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, John said that he has no patience for actors who promote health and fitness on the one hand and endorse ‘paan masala’ on the other. He said that he would never want to ‘sell death’ himself. He said that he wants to be a ‘role model’ to his fans and that they will smell insincerity at him if he doesn’t practice what he preaches. “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.

“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 because it’s a matter of principle. Do you know that the yearly turnover for the ‘paan masala’ industry is Rs 45,000 crore? Which means that even the government is supporting it and that’s why it isn’t illegal,” he continued.

He said that he has made the ‘choice’ to not support these companies and that the excuses others make - these products are often sold as mouth fresheners - are irrelevant to him. “You’re selling death. How can you live with it?”