The government has said that Madhuri Dixit, Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta, who are brand ambassadors for Maggi will be liable for action if advertisements are found to be misleading.
This is not the first time that celebrities have been pulled up for endorsing a brand. With stars endorsing everything from face creams and soaps to undergarments and even being the brand ambassadors of some states, it is only natural that controversies crop up. We take a look at some of the biggest controversies:
Ranveer Singh in 'that' ad
Ranveer Singh courted controversy and then some applause when he endorsed a popular condom brand, but that is not the story we are going to tell you. This one is more recent and it brought PETA and animal rights activists take their swords out. It featured Ranveer in a vest , a girl and a shark. The visuals have Ranveer fighting with the shark to save the girl. The brand later clarified that no real shark was injured in the shoot, and all they had used was a toy.
Amitabh Bachchan, more than once
Amitabh Bachchan rakes in a lot of moolah from brand endorsements. He created a huge controversy when he said he will not continue to endorse a leading soft drink brand because of a little girl's comment that hurt his conscience. And then there was that candy ad which was revoked because it showed the actor throwing stones at a tree and it could be really dangerous if small kids did the same.
Genelia was not left out!
In 2012, a court in Hyderabad directed police to file a case against actor Genelia D’Souza for promoting a real estate firm that was accused of cheating. Gen, explained that it was a one off shoot and that was it. And then there was that advertisement for a watch brand which got Genelia and Virat Kohli in a soup – that one about 'why the world moved to auto-pilot.'
Kangna Ranaut, way too intimate
Kangna got into trouble too. They said she was exposing a bit too much when she featured on the advertisement for a popular dress band. And then again, she shot down an offer for a 'fairness' product.
Akshay, Twinkle and the ramp
How can a list of controversies be complete without this one? Akshay was walking the ramp during a very popular Fashion show and he stopped near his wife Twinkle who was in the first row and she unbuttoned him! It was not really a commercial, but it catapulted the brand, and the couple into the limelight.
SRK and the 'fairness' debate
SRK endorsed a popular fairness product and drew the ire of a lot of people, including his own industry colleagues. It sparked off the always nagging issue of why our culture is so biased towards fair complexion.