7 controversial endorsements that landed Bollywood celebrities in trouble

From candy to condoms, find out how top B-town celebs got into hot water!

KARACHI: From shampoos to apartments, celebrities endorse products both in print, and on television. But, as the recent controversy surrounding Aishwarya Rai's ad for Kalyan Jewellers has shown, these ads sometimes hit the wrong nerve, landing everyone involved in trouble.

Here's a list of seven other times that controversial endorsements have landed Bollywood celebs in hot water.

1. Shah Rukh Khan



PHOTO: BOLLYWOODLIFE

Bollywood's King Khan came under fire for endorsing a skin lightening cream product a couple of years ago. The advertisement led to an online campaign titled Dark and Beautiful which urged not only the star but also the brand to stop promoting and encouraging fairness creams. A lot of people backed the campaign's cause, including Aamir Khan, who said that he would never promote such products. But King Khan kept mum on the whole controversy and still promotes the brand.

2. Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaaz Khan



PHOTO: BOLLYWOODLIFE

Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan got into trouble for a coffee commercial in 1993. The ad showed the two sharing cozying up to each other in a display of intimacy that was deemed too suggestive for Indian sensibilities. The advertisement's one-liner read, "Real pleasure can't come in an 'instant'", which many felt was not only obscene, but also misleading. Following a furore, the ad was banned.

3. Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna



PHOTO: BUSINESS OF CINEMA

Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle Khanna sparked controversy during a fashion show in March 2009 when Akshay Kumar walked the ramp for a denim brand. Everything was going normally until Akshay asked his wife to unbutton his pants, and she obliged. For this act, a social worker filed a case of obscenity against both the stars and denim brand.

The media hype over the controversy died down and soon the incident faded out of public memory.

4. Bipasha Basu



PHOTO: FILM STILL

Bipasha Basu and her then-boyfriend Dino Moreo did a commercial for an international undergarments label in 1998, in which Dino was seen pulling Bipasha's panties with his teeth. The advertisement's one-liner read, "And you thought your appetite for indulgence could only be whetted by Swiss chocolates". The ad was labelled as too obscene with then-minister of state for cultural affrairs, Anil Deshmukh, openly denouncing the ad. The campaign was called off.

5. Amitabh Bachchan



A candy commercial got Big B in hot water when he was shown pelting stones at a mango tree. According to The Advertising Standard Council of India, children could imitate his actions, leading to dangerous consequences. The advertisement was later taken down.

 



 

In another incident, Big B's endorsement of Pepsi came under the spotlight when the actor announced that he was ending his association with the brand after a schoolgirl's comments had pricked his conscience. According to Amitabh, the schoolgirl had asked him why he chose to endorse a product that her parents and teachers labelled "poison". This decision was highly criticized by PepsiCo officials, but they chose not to pursue the matter legally, labelling it the star's "personal decision".

6. Kangana Ranaut



Kangana Ranaut came under fire for her endorsement of Levi's after a series of ads that were deemed "overly revealing" and "obscene" by the public. The ads however were allowed to continue and were not pulled down.

7. Ranvcer Singh



Ranveer's endorsement of Durex condom received mixed reaction. While some appreciated that a celebrity known for his active sex life promoted the message of safe sex, others slammed the ad for unnecessary exposure.