With the Maggi controversy, celeb endorsements come under a cloud. Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor discuss their stand on the matter...
Melissa D’Costa D’Silva (DNA; June 9, 2015)


But are celebrities responsible for the brands they endorse? A Bihar court has directed the police to register an FIR against Nestlé India officials and actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, who endorsed the product. The fallout has resulted in many actors revisiting their endorsement contracts. We asked new brand favourites Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor, both with a huge fan following among the young, for their take on the matter.

UNFAIR BLAME?
Shraddha says before she endorses any product, she, along with her core team and her agency find out as much they can about it. Using Madhuri endorsing Maggi as an example of not being given enough information, she says, “Most of us have grown up eating it. I don’t think she or any of us was aware of the high levels of MSG or lead as detected. So, I feel it’s unfair to pin the blame on her. We represent and are faces of the brand we endorse, but there is a line. In this case, I feel we should give her the benefit of doubt. If something negative does come up about the brands I endorse, I will take a call on what to do depending on the findings and the situation.”

Varun, too, said he looks into a product before agreeing to endorse it. “I recently signed on to endorse Maaza which is not regarded as an aerated drink and is known as a juice. That being said, no one is forcing you to buy or consume a product. I just hope that people who file these cases against celebs do so for the right reasons. I don’t foresee something like this happening to me because I am associated with reputed brands, but obviously if a product is a health hazard, I would look into it. However, the onus always lies with the people manufacturing the product and not with the celeb endorsing it.”

FAIR OR FREE?
In April this year, Kalyan Jewellers was forced to withdraw a ‘racist’ ad featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In the ad, the former Miss World was seen decked in jewels along with a child, dark and emaciated, holding an oversized umbrella over her head. It was brought to notice after a group comprising of a feminist activist, a former chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights among others wrote an open letter to slam the former beauty queen’s print ad for Kalyan Jewellers, which they felt also promoted child labour.

Aishwarya’s statement, said the final layout was “entirely the prerogative of the creative team.” The ad was withdrawn after much criticism on social media.

NOT LIGHTLY TAKEN
A couple of years ago, Shah Rukh Khan found himself at the receiving end for endorsing a skin lightening product. An online campaign titled ‘Dark and Beautiful’ urged the star and the brand to stop promoting and encouraging fairness creams. Later, many celebs, including Aamir Khan, backed the cause and stated that they would never promote such products. However, SRK chose not to comment on it.

BAD EXAMPLE
In 2013, Mr Bachchan’s candy commercial landed him in trouble as he was shown pelting stones at a mango tree. Upholding a complaint against the ad, the Advertising Standard Council of India remarked that children could imitate Big B’s actions from the commercial to harmful consequences. It was later pulled off.