Audiences will no longer see Akshay Kumar in the popular anti-smoking ad, known as the Nandu ad, before movies in theatres. According to Bollywood Hungama, the CBFC has decided to stop showing Akshay Kumar’s ad and has replaced it with a new one.
The new ad that has taken the place of Akshay’s popular Nandu ad highlights how quitting tobacco can lead to positive changes in the body within just 20 minutes.However, the exact reason for the Nandu ad’s removal remains a mystery.
This fresh campaign premiered in theatres alongside recent releases, including Alia Bhatt’s Jigra and the Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri starrer Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video.The ad featuring Akshay Kumar was launched around the release of his 2018 Independence Day film, Gold. It also played a significant role in promoting his 2018 film Padman, which tells the inspiring story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who created affordable sanitary pads for women in rural areas.
In the ad, actor Ajay Singh Pal portrays Nandu, who is seen smoking a cigarette near a hospital. When Akshay Kumar approaches him, he discusses his wife’s hygiene issues. Akshay points out that the money spent on two cigarettes could instead be used to buy sanitary pads.
An official at a multiplex shared with the news portal that the anti-smoking ad was a favorite because it delivered an important message without disturbing visuals. They mentioned it was entertaining to see moviegoers reciting the ad’s dialogues, as they had watched it for six years and memorized all the lines. They expressed that many fans will surely miss the ad.