"If You're Advertising Paan Or Gutka, You Should Consume It First," Says Tukaram Mundhe At NDTV Yuva

The Maharashtra FDA had recently issued show-cause notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff, directing them to stop participating in the campaign and remove promotional content related to the advertisement from their official social media accounts. At Yuva, one of the key discussions around his work was the action he took against actors over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.

Tukaram Mundhe Acted Against The Advertisement

At the event, Mundhe was asked what went through his mind when he decided that action had to be taken. "The thought is simple. This is again a continuation of being a part of the system," he said.

Mundhe then spoke about something he strongly dislikes: sycophancy and double standards.
"I hate to be a sycophant. Anybody. I hate sycophancy. Double standards, multiple standards, multiple faces, I don't like them," he said.

He argued that people cannot have one set of standards in their personal lives and another in their professional lives. If someone is publicly telling others that a product is good, the same standard should apply to the person promoting it.

"Why ask somebody else to follow it? Let's start with yourself," he said.

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Referring to paan and gutka advertising directly, he added, "If you are advertising paan or gutka, then you should consume it first. Let your children consume it and make it a habit. Then tell everyone else to do it. Why should it work the other way around?" 

An endorsement, he reiterated, is not just about putting a face to a product. The person making the endorsement also has a responsibility for what they are asking the public to consume or believe.

Tukaram Mundhe said the issue is not only about morality or personal ethics. He pointed to the legal responsibilities of sponsors and said the law does not allow misleading claims when it comes to food or drugs.

Actors Being "Just The Face" Of An Advertisement

The FDA commissioner rejected the notion that an actor is only the face of a campaign, while the producer or manufacturer is responsible for the product. He said influencers and public figures cannot claim immunity simply because advertising is their profession.

He specifically addressed the argument that an actor may say, "I am a commercial person, I am an actor, I am an actress, I am somebody, therefore, I am advertising it. It is not my responsibility. It is only the producer's responsibility." "That is not the case," Mundhe said.

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That is why public figures involved in such promotions also need to look at what they are endorsing and understand the responsibility attached to it.

Mundhe's argument at NDTV Yuva came down to two kinds of responsibility: legal and moral. "You have to look at whatever you are doing and understand that you are a responsible part of this society. Along with that, you have a legal and moral responsibility," he said.