Indian actor John Abraham is best known for his love for fitness and is often seen promoting healthy living. While the actor refrains from promoting brands that are ‘unhealthy’ for the consumers, he recently voiced his concerns on paan masala promotions by celebrities during a podcast with YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia.
In the interesting interaction between ever-fit John Abraham and former fitness influencer Ranveer Allahabadia, the actor opened up his views on the promotion of tobacco-infused consumables by A-listers. He criticized the promotion of such brands or products and compared the endorsements to “selling death”. The actor also mentioned that the celebrities promoting the paan masala brands are also the ones who emphasise a healthy lifestyle. “People talk about fitness, and the same people endorse paan masala,” the actor said.
John further mentioned that his critique is not to be confused with disrespecting any celebrity but a stance against the promotion of products known for their detrimental health effects. “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,” he added.
The actor further noted that the paan masala industry has an annual turnover of over INR 45,000 crore and highlighted his opinion that the support of the government is important to reduce the consumption of such products. John adds, “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. You’re selling death. How can you live with it?”
While John Abraham has openly criticized and refrained from promoting paan masala brands, other A-listers including Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar have faced controversies time and again for their involvement in such endorsements. While Akshay Kumar pledged to not promote the paan masala brands in future in response to the backlash, others have continued to be a part.
On the work front, John Abraham will next be seen in the action thriller Vedaa sharing screen space with Sharvari, Tamannaah Bhatia, Kshitij Chauhan and Abhishek Banerjee among others. Helmed by Nikkhil Advani, the movie is scheduled for a theatrical release on the occasion of Independence Day.
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