On Thursday, actor Akshay Kumar stepped down as one of the ambassadors for a tobacco brand. And actor Ajay Devgn, who has also been associated with the brand for a long time, cleared his stance on still being a part of the brand’s campaign and Kumar’s sudden exit.

In an interaction with Indian Express, Devgn said, “It is a personal choice. When you do something, you also see how harmful it would be. Some things are harmful, some are not.”

The Tanhaji (2020) actor also added, “I would say it without naming it because I don’t want to promote it; I was doing elaichi. What I feel is more than advertisements, if certain things are so wrong, then they should not be sold.”

Kumar was heavily criticized by fans for becoming the brand’s ambassador, leading to him apologizing to fans and donating the ad fee.

A part of his apology that he posted on social media read, “I am sorry. I would like to apologise to you, all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings...”