Amitabh Bachchan's no to Kamla Pasand, terminates contract

Mega star Amitabh Bachchan has stepped down as the face of a paan masala Kamla Pasand  brand as he was "unaware" of some of the details.  Bachchan signed the contract with the brand without the knowledge that it categorises as "surrogate advertising, a statement said . Bachchan contacted the brand and stepped out of it last week, it added. The statement also revealed that Amitabh Bachchan, after terminating his contract, has returned the money he received for promotional duties: " Bachchan has terminated the contract with the Brand, has written to them his termination and has returned the money received for the promotion."

Amitabh Bachchan's statement arrived following a massive backlash the actor received for endorsing the brand. Last month, the National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE), an NGO, had reached out to Bachchan, appealing him to not endorse commercials that promote paan masala brands.  It also added that since Big B is the government brand ambassador for the pulse polio campaign, he should drop out of pan masala ads immediately. “As an oncologist and member of an NGO working in the field of tobacco cessation, I am aggrieved and provoked to wage war against the dubious measures, such embellishment done by various influential and famous Bollywood actors.