There’s no denying that Internet never forgets. And we were reminded of the fact again when Akshay Kumar was trolled for endorsing the pan masala brand, Vimal. An old video of the actor had surfaced, where he was talking about his stand on endorsing products like tobacco – he had said that he didn’t support the same.
Reacting to it, fans and netizens had shown disappointment, while also trolling the actor for the Vimal advertisement with SRK and Ajay Devgn.
And, it looks like the actor takes his fans seriously. Akshay Kumar took to the Internet to issue an apology for endorsing the brand. He also shared that he hasn’t and will not endorse tobacco. The actor further added that he is stepping back from the association – while also promising to make mindful choices in future.
I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back.
-Akshay Kumar
People appreciated this action and reacted to his apology:
Fans idolize their favourite actors and hence expect their actions to be mindful – in ways that they do not do things that might be considered ‘wrong’. Amitabh Bachchan had also terminated his contract with a pan masala brand last year, mentioning that he wasn’t aware of the ‘surrogate advertising’ associated with the brand.
Without a doubt, Akshay Kumar’s stand has left his fans happy.