A few days after megastar Akshay Kumar had become the brand ambassador of a tobacco brand, and also made his debut in its advertisement, the actor has now announced that he will no longer be associated with the brand. Akshay shared a post on Thursday at midnight to make this announcement.
Taking to Instagram, Akshay issued an apology by writing a note to his fans. “I am sorry. 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. 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 added.
For the unversed, Akshay was the latest Bollywood star after Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan to join Vimal promos for their cardamom products. Vimal also sells tobacco products. Akshay’s decision to be associated with the brand was not well received by fans.
The advertisement in question, showed Shah Rukh and Ajay Devgn welcoming Akshay to the ‘Vimal universe’. It sees the trio strike the Vimal salute as they chewed on the elaichi (cardamom).
Soon after the ad went on air, fans of Akshay Kumar were unhappy as they saw their favourite star promoting harmful products. Several fans took to social media platforms to share old videos of him in which he had spoken about his aversion to alcohol, cigarettes, and other products, to remind him of what he has once said.
On the work front, Akshay Kumar has a number of films in the pipeline. The actor will be next seen in the much-awaited period drama Prithviraj opposite Manushi Chhillar. The movie will mark the former beauty queen’s big Bollywood debut. Apart from this, Akshay will also be seen in movies like Ram Setu, OMG 2, Raksha Bandhan, Gorkha, etc.
