SARKAR POSTER CIGARETTE

Sarkar poster: Actor Vijay flayed for using cigarette as film ‘marketing strategy’

 CHENNAI: Tobacco control activists have lashed out against actor Vijay for using cigarettes as a "marketing strategy" to promote his films.
On Thursday, the first look poster of the 44-year-old actor's upcoming flick “Sarkar” was released to much controversy. The poster showed Vijay puffing out smoke from a cigarette, inviting criticism from former Union health minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss.

In a statement on Friday, the Tamil Nadu People's Forum for Tobacco Control said the poster violated norms laid under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). "The poster violates Section 5 of COTPA which prohibits display of tobacco products or their use in promos and posters of films," said S Cyril Alexander, state convener of the forum.

The statement accused actor Vijay of resorting to smoking tactics to promote his films. "Actor Vijay has been portrayed with tobacco products earlier too and he has continued to use tobacco for this film's promotion. When confronted, he and his team will immediately apologise. This is a marketing strategy adopted by Vijay," Alexander said.

During Anbumani's tenure as Union health minister, Vijay was one of two Tamil film actors (the other was Rajinikanth), who had publicly stated that they would refrain from filming scenes depicting tobacco usage.

 

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