MUMBAI: Bollywood stars enjoy a massive fan following. They inspire and influence many. Hence, brands often rope them in to endorse their products. However, there have been times when promotions have have landed them in controversy! Have a look at celebrities who ended up in trouble for their endorsements.

Amitabh Bachchan’s paan masala advertisement
Amitabh Bachchan came under the radar of fans after he decided to feature in a paan masala advertisement. Fans questioned the actor’s decision, and soon, Big B decided to terminate his contract. His team shared, “A few days after the commercial was aired, Mr Bachchan contacted the brand and stepped out of it last week. Upon checking why this sudden move - it was revealed that when Mr Bachchan became associated with the brand, he wasn’t aware that it falls under surrogate advertising. Mr Bachchan has terminated the contract with the Brand, has written to them his termination and has returned the money received for the promotion.”

Alia Bhatt’s wedding advertisement
Alia Bhatt made for a beautiful bride in a wedding advertisement, but her dialogue that promoted Kanya maan’ and questioned the Hindu tradition of ‘Kanyadaan’ didn’t go down well with a few. Netizens were divided over the commercial, which presented a fresh perspective on the patriarchal tradition of giving away girls at weddings as a part of a ritual called ‘Kanya daan’.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan called out for a racist jewellery advertisement
Back in 2015, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan got called out for featuring in an advertisement for a jewellery brand that captured a child carrying an umbrella over the actress. Child rights groups were offended with the depiction of a malnourished, dark-skinned little boy holding an umbrella over the actress and wrote an open letter to her. Responding to the same, her statement read, “The final layout of the ad is entirely the prerogative of the creative team for a brand. However, shall forward your article as a viewpoint that can be taken into consideration by the creative team of professional working on the brand communication visual.” The brand withdrew the advertisement later.

Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre’s nude advertisement
In 1995, Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre had made headlines for their controversial photoshoot for a shoe brand. They posed nude and even faced a case of obscenity. According to PTI, a local court acquitted Milind and Madhu in 2009.

Credits: TOI