Sanjay Gupta questions smoking posters of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal: What about anti-smoking ads?
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has questioned Bollywood’s continued use of smoking as part of a leading man’s on-screen image and on posters, expecially. The director on Sunday shared posters featuring Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, Ranveer Singh in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, with all three actors seen smoking in their respective looks.
Adding to this, Sanjay Gupta questions smoking posters of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal as theatres show anti-smoking ads. What he shared on X Sanjay took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday and shared a collage of the three actors. His post questioned the anti-smoking messages audiences are shown in theatres before and during films but smoking on posters is allowed. “What is the point of those unpleasant anti smoking reels we have to endure before and during films when these are the posters of the films?” he asked.
Meanwhile, The post soon led to a discussion in the comments. One user brought up Gupta’s own 2002 movie Kaante, pointing to a song in the movie that references smoking. The user wrote, “Suprised that this is coming from the director of the movie Kaante which has a song which says 'ciggrate ke dhuan ka challa banake, collar ko thodasa upar chada ke'...what an irony.”
Notably, He responded directly to the comment, pointing out that the rules and public messaging around smoking were different at the time. He wrote, “There were no non smoking ads then you genius.”
As per the latest buzz, Several other users joined the discussion and agreed with the filmmaker's broader concern about how smoking is used in films. One person compared the situation to the warnings audiences see while watching content on streaming platforms, writing, “It's a joke, it's like watching a show on Netflix and apple and being warned about alcohol consumption.”
In further updates, Another user questioned the repeated association between cigarettes and masculinity in Indian cinema. The comment read, “Because these people think that cigarette is the only thing that shows a man masculine. This is the lack of creativity. All Indian movie industries are suffering from 'masculinity sycophancy'. Bhaad mai gaya content, story aur creativity.”
On top of that, One more user backed his argument, writing, “Couldn't agree more , dead right.”
This arrives when the rules on substance use in films are also being tightened. Central Board of Movie Certification (CBFC) brought in a set of revised guidelines for what can be shown on screen and how certain subjects should be handled. Notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act, the new rules make anti-drug warnings mandatory in films depicting narcotics, while also reiterating restrictions on violence, sensitive subjects and content that could affect India’s relations with other countries. The changes come alongside the Centre’s reconstitution of the CBFC with a new 18-member board.
Source: Hindustan Times