Throwback: Shah Rukh Khan's Candid Take On Celebrity Endorsements And Cigarette Smoking In Films
A throwback video from 2006 has surfaced, showcasing Shah Rukh Khan's candid views on celebrity endorsements and cigarette smoking in films.
New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan addressed the issue surrounding his promotion of soft drinks, a product widely criticised for its possible damage to children, in a flashback interview from 2006. During an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN, SRK raised doubts about the reasoning behind using celebrities to promote these items while allowing their manufacture and sale.
In a statement that echoed his earlier call for harsher action, Shah Rukh Khan urged authorities to "ban it" if they honestly felt that cold beverages were hazardous to youngsters.
The actor said, “I would appeal to any authority like that. Ban it. Don’t let it sell in our country. If you think it’s bad for children, ban it. Smoking is bad – don’t let the production of cigarettes go on in this country. If you think cold drinks are bad, do not let them. If it’s poisoning our people, do not let it be made in India."
Explaining further, he added, "See, my logic is, you are not stopping it because it gives you a revenue. Let’s be honest about it. You’re not stopping certain products if you think they’re harmful, but they’re revenue to the government. Don’t stop my revenue. I’m an actor. I’m supposed to do a job and get revenue from it. And very clearly, I mean, if you think something is wrong, stop it. There’s no problem."
Shah Rukh Khan's Views on Smoking in Cinema
SRK then proceeded to make an analogy to cigarettes, arguing that these items should be regulated in the same way. He warned, “The whole larger issue is that today smoking, tomorrow what? And where does it go ahead with this? An art form should be left alone.”
He said that the Indian population is better informed than ever before about the risks of smoking. “And I truly believe, that the Indian masses are literate enough to know that there’s no more Humphrey Bogart kind of smoking, no more that you will start smoking because an actor does. And it’s a very, very small health issue. I think the powers that be should look at bigger health issues than smoking in films,” he concluded.
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On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan and his daughter Suhana Khan will co-star in Sujoy Ghosh's next film ‘King’.
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