Akshay Kumar’s Anti-Smoking Ad Removed After 6 Years, CBFC Launches New Campaign

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has pulled down a popular anti-smoking ad featuring Akshay Kumar after six years, as reported by Bollywood Hungama. The ad, known as the Nandu ad, used to play in cinemas before movies and during intermissions.

According to the report, last month, the CBFC decided to replace the ad with a new one that highlights how quitting tobacco can lead to positive changes in the body within just 20 minutes. This new advertisement premiered in theaters alongside the recent releases of Jigra, starring Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, featuring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri.

The reason for removing the Nandu ad hasn’t been specified. In 2012, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting required that anti-smoking ads be shown before films that include smoking scenes.

In 2018, the CBFC updated its guidelines, stating that ads featuring Akshay Kumar and Ajay Singh Pal should be played with films that show smoking. The Nandu ad first aired with Akshay Kumar’s 2018 film Gold. In the ad, Akshay advises Nandu, portrayed by Ajay Singh Pal, to quit smoking and spend the money saved on buying sanitary pads for his wife instead.

A multiplex official shared with Bollywood Hungama that the Nandu ad was a favorite because it delivered an important message without disturbing visuals and was entertaining, with many moviegoers often quoting its dialogue after watching it for six years.