Actor Akshay Kumar has issued an apology to his fans after facing a lot of heat for endorsing the Vimal Elaichi brand.
Kumar’s apology comes after days of backlash and trolling over the new Vimal Elaichi ad in which he appeared alongside actors Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan for the “Zubaan Kesari” campaign.
Kumar said that the reaction of the fans over the past few days had “deeply affected” him and announced that he is taking a “step back”. He also promised to be mindful of his future choices for endorsements.
However, he said that the brand can continue airing the ad till the timeframe of the contract. Also, he announced that he would be donating the entire endorsement fee for it to a “worthy cause”.
Kumar’s post:
???????? pic.twitter.com/rBMZqGDdUI
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) April 20, 2022
Social media immediately got wind of the apology and while many applauded him for speaking so bravely and accepting his mistake, others continued trolling him for his ad.
— harish (@harish6695) April 20, 2022
On April 16, 2022, Vimal Elaichi had posted the ad introducing Akshay Kumar as its latest brand endorser. The video has garnered over 68 lakh views until today on the platform alone.
Vimal Elaichi - Ajay Devgn | Shahrukh Khan | Akshay Kumar Hindi TVC 40 secs
In an interview given in 2018, Kumar had said that celebrities should not endorse tobacco products. After the Vimal Elaichi ad aired the internet had trolled the actor and reminded him of his earlier statements.
Akshay Kumar Before and After Eating Vimal pic.twitter.com/QUJGWvNT5o
— Unsocially M’idiotic (@m_idiotic) April 13, 2022
Akshay Kumar through the years ????✌️ pic.twitter.com/3RcoTYT25F
— Aarohi Tripathy ???????? (@aarohi_vns) April 13, 2022
— Delhi Se Hoon BC (@delhichatter) April 20, 2022
“While I have not and will not endorse tobacco…”
— AR (@r_arvindk2000) April 20, 2022
Toh phir yeh kya hai ??? Kitna Choona lagaiga bhai ? Next you’ll say you’re not Canadian too ! pic.twitter.com/lXzV4eQeMt
