Celebrity endorsements are fairly popular and quite effective to a certain extent. However, it is not uncommon for these celebrities to be embroiled in controversies as a result of promoting either questionable products or objectionable messages for whatever reason. A handful of Bollywood actors in the past such as Shah Rukh Khan, Yami Gautam, Ranveer Singh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, etc. have been involved in troublesome ads, which has gotten them into some hot water.

Now, Akshay Kumar finds himself amidst a controversy that sparked because of a decision made by him. Following in the footsteps of Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan, he recently became the brand ambassador of a tobacco-selling brand called Vimal Elaichi. People were not pleased with this choice considering the fact that the actor has already spoken out numerous times against actors endorsing paan masala.

Netizens started trolling Akshay for his hypocritical decision to join the Vimal brand and shared old videos of him in which he was speaking against consuming alcohol and tobacco products. The actor has since then finally broken his silence on this matter. But that is not all. Not only has he apologized, but he has also stepped down as the product's brand ambassador. He further goes on to clarify that he will have to fulfill commitments as per the contract that he had signed prior to this incident.

Taking to Twitter post-midnight on Thursday (April 21), the actor publicly apologized to the fans for promoting such a brand following the controversy on social media. He said, "I would like to apologise to you, all my fans and well-wishers. Your reaction over the past few days has deeply affected me. While I have not and will not endorse tobacco, I respect the outpouring of your feelings in light of my association with Vimal Elaichi. With all humility, I step back. I have decided to contribute the entire endorsement fee towards a worthy cause. The brand might continue airing the ads till the legal duration of the contract that is binding upon me, but I promise to be extremely mindful in making my future choices. In return I shall forever continue to ask for your love and wishes."

 

 

On the professional front, Akshay Kumar has some films up his kitty. He will be seen in Prithviraj alongside Manushi Chillar, in Raksha Bandhan alongside Bhumi Pednekar, Ram Setu, Mission Cinderella, OMG 2 – Oh My God! 2, and in Selfiee.