‘Mera zameer nahi manta’: Sunny Deol on why he refuses pan masala ads amid SRK-Ajay row

Sunny Deol, the actor-politician, has firmly stated that he will never appear in advertisements for pan masala products, unlike his colleagues Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff. During an appearance on the Unplugged Shubhankar, Deol explained that his decision is rooted in his strong moral convictions. He firmly believes that promoting such products goes against his personal beliefs, stating, "I don t do pan masala ads and kabhi karunga bhi nahi (I will never do pan masala ads).

I won t promote any of those things like gutkha. Aatey hai but nahi karunga (I get offers, but I won t do them)." Deol emphasized that he rejects such offers because his conscience does not permit him to endorse these products, saying, "There are so many things I don t do because my conscience doesn t allow it, and the ones that need to be done, I simply do."

While the allure of money is tempting, Deol explained that his heart always pushes such compromises away. He questioned the motives behind such endorsements, asking himself, "Why am I doing this? What am I doing this for? Do I want to do this just for money?" The controversy involving Deol, along with Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff, stems from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) decision to issue show-cause notices to the actors for their roles in Vimal Elaichi ads.

The FDA argues that their presence in these ads creates an association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand and amounts to indirect promotion, similar to surrogate advertising. This marks the first instance of the regulator examining surrogate advertising as it intensifies its crackdown on products containing tobacco or nicotine.