John Abraham criticises actors for endorsing paan masala, says 'you're selling death': 'Even the government is...'

John Abraham is awaiting the release of his upcoming film Vedaa. The upcoming actioner has him playing the role of former Indian Army officer Abhimanyu Kanwar, who mentors Sharvari's titular protagonist, in her fight for injustice. In one of the promotional interviews for Vedaa, John slammed the actors for endorsing paan masala and stated that he will not sell death.

Talking to Ranveer Allahbadia on his YouTube channel, the Pathaan actor said that he wants to be a role model and always practises what he preaches. "If I live my life with honesty, and if I practice what I preach, then I’m a role model. But if I’m presenting a fake version of myself in the public and behaving like a different person behind their back, they’ll spot it."

Calling out actors for doing paan masala endorsements, John continued, "People talk about fitness, and the same people endorse paan masala. I love all my actor friends and I’m not disrespecting any of them. I want to make it clear that I’m talking about myself. I will not sell death, because it’s a matter of principle. Do you know that the yearly turnover for the paan masala industry is ₹45,000 crore? Which means that even the government is supporting it, and that’s why it isn’t illegal. You’re selling death. How can you live with it?."

Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ajay Devgn have been criticised for featuring in the pan masala advertisements. In April 2022, Akshay had apologised to his fans after facing backlash for the same, and he had announced that he will not associate himself with such brands in the future. Since December last year, he hasn't been seen endorsing paan masala.

Talking about John Abraham's upcoming film Vedaa, the Nikkhil Advani directorial is set to release on August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day. The action thriller will clash at the box office with Akshay Kumar-starrer comedy Khel Khel Mein, and Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao-starrer horror comedy Stree 2. In the south, Vikram's Thangalaan, Ravi Teja's Mr. Bachchan, Ram Pothineni and Sanjay Dutt's Double iSmart, and Keerthy Suresh's Raghuthatha are also slated to release on August 15.

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