Pierce Brosnan, best known as portraying James Bond in the movies, has told Indian authorities that he was “cheated” by a mouth freshener company by linking the British actor to a product with a reported association with an addictive form of tobacco, BBC reported.
In 2016, Brosnan agreed to advertise a so-called breath freshener/tooth whitener for an Indian company called Ashok & Co. However, after taking part in the campaign, the actor discovered that the company were using his image to promote a separate brand – Pan Bahar.
In a written response, the British-actor told the Indian government that Ashok & Co, a mouth freshener company, never disclosed the hazardous nature of the product Pan Bahar.
The former Bond actor had condemned the “unauthorized” use of his image in the ad for Pan Bahar in in 2016, soon after it first appeared.
However, Ashok & Co. denied in 2016 that tobacco was linked to its product and had not reacted to Brosnan’s most recent statement, reports BBC.
In an interview with the People Magazine, he told that he was “deeply shocked and saddened” to participate in the Pan Bahar ad campaign after learning it may include cancer-causing ingredients.
Soon, after the advertisements, people went berserk, and questioned the actor of endorsing a hazardous product.
“As a man who has spent decades championing women’s health care and environmental protection, I was distressed to learn of Pan Bahar’s unauthorized and deceptive use of my image to endorse their range of pan masala products. I would never have entered into an agreement to promote a product in India that is dangerous to one’s health.,” Brosnan said clarifying his stance, per People in 2016 and was quoted from the Newsmax.
Recently, Health officials in Delhi, SK Arora, released Brosnan’s response to the press. It stated, “Brosnan also said that his agreement with the company was over and he was ready to extend all kinds of support and cooperation to our department against such campaigns. He has given an undertaking in writing that he would never assist any company with regard to promotion of such products or other such harmful products in future.”
Both pan masala and gutka have been linked to cancer, with many Indian states banning their sale to discourage people from buying those hazardous items.
