CBFC pulls down Akshay Kumar's anti-smoking in-theatre ad after 6 years

Akshay Kumar’s popular anti-smoking ad, commonly known as the Nandu ad, will no longer run before films in theatres. According to media reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to pull down the ad after a six-year run. Although the exact reason for the removal is unclear, reports cited sources as suggesting that the ad will be replaced by a new public service announcement that focuses on the positive impact of quitting tobacco.

This new public service announcement (PSA) has already been included in recent films such as Jigra, starring Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, featuring Rajkummar Rao and Triptii Dimri, both of which include smoking scenes. The updated ad delivers a fresh take on tobacco awareness, emphasizing the positive effects of quitting smoking, and marks a significant shift in messaging after the six-year run of the previous ad.

The now-discontinued Nandu ad starred Akshay Kumar alongside Madhya Pradesh-based actor Ajay Singh Pal. Pal, who had worked as an extra in Kumar's 2018 film Pad Man, was later invited to join the anti-smoking campaign. The PSA first debuted during the release of Kumar's film Gold in 2018, coinciding with the film's launch. In the ad, Kumar urges Pal's character, Nandu, to quit smoking, suggesting that he use the money saved from not buying cigarettes to buy sanitary pads for his wife. This not only reinforced the anti-smoking message but also tied in with Pad Man’s focus on women's hygiene issues.

India has a longstanding history of promoting public health messages in cinema, particularly regarding tobacco use. In 2012, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, made it mandatory for all films depicting smoking scenes to include anti-smoking ads. These ads were required to be shown before the movie began and after the intermission.

One of the earliest and most impactful ads featured Mukesh Harane, a young man who tragically lost his life to cancer as a result of tobacco use. His story became a central figure in India's anti-smoking campaigns, with many moviegoers remembering the haunting lines, "Mukesh died of oral cancer."

Over the years, these ads have evolved, with new versions being introduced to keep the message relevant and impactful. Akshay Kumar’s ad, which first aired in 2018, was among the updates intended to provide a more engaging and relatable approach to the anti-smoking narrative. While these PSAs often used disturbing imagery of the harmful effects of smoking, Kumar’s ad took a slightly different route, using humor and practicality to deliver its message.