Actor Akshay Kumar has proved that he is a man of his words. Just as he had announced while severing his association with the Vimal Kesari Brand last year, his face now stands removed from all the ads of the brand, leaving only the other two celeb endorsers — Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn.

In 2022, Kumar faced flak for being associated with surrogate advertising for Vimal. Known as a morally responsible and fitness-conscious actor, his endorsement didn’t go down well with his fans. He was quick to take note and wrote on X, “I’m sorry, I would like to apologize 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 in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back.”

However, he had added that the brand might air the ads during the legal duration of the contract. When an advertisement featuring him aired in October during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Kumar clarified that it was shot two years ago and it’d stop airing from December.

The advertising and trade fraternities are all praise for celebs setting such examples and keeping their word. “I believe these top stars should not be associated with such ads, and Akshay has set a good example. It was not even pan masala, it was elaichi! But he understood that people know about surrogate advertising. These celebs don’t need the money or publicity, so Akshay took the right step. He is a man of his word when it comes to both his citizenship (the actor renounced his Canadian citizenship and acquired an Indian passport this year) and the Vimal ad,” says trade analyst Joginder Tuteja.

Ad guru Prahlad Kakar, too, is impressed with the 56-year-old. “It makes a lot of difference to people who care. Mr Amitabh Bachchan also publicly disassociated himself from colas and said they are bad for health. It is not just about giving up something, it is also about doing positive things after that. Akshay did it,” he says.