John Abraham says “I will not sell death” as he slams actors for endorsing paan masala products

John Abraham is known for speaking his mind. The actor – who at the trailer launch of his soon-to-release film Vedaa lashed out at a journalist, in a recent chat got candid about actors promoting paan masala products. The actor – who made his acting debut with Pooja Bhatt’s Jism, compared endorsing pan masala products to selling death. Read on to know all he said.

John Abraham on endorsing paan masala products: “I will not sell death”

During a recent conversation with Ranveer Allahabadia on his YouTube channel, John Abraham slammed actors who endorse ‘paan masala’ brands. Calling them promoting such harmful products to them selling death, the ‘Vedaa’ actor says, “People talk about fitness, and the same people endorse paan masala. I love all my actor friends and I’m not disrespecting any of them. I want to make it clear that I’m talking about myself. But I will not sell death, because it’s a matter of principle.”

He continued, “Do you know that the yearly turnover for the paan masala industry is Rs 45,000 crore? This means that even the government is supporting it, and that’s why it isn’t illegal. You’re selling death. How can you live with it?” Many Bollywood stars are known for featuring in paan masala advertisements. Some actors who have been criticised for rendering such products include Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar. In fact, owing to the criticism, Akshay announced that he would no longer promote such products.

During the same podcast, John Abraham also stated that he wants to be a role model and always practise what he preaches. He said, “If I live my life with honesty, and if I practice what I preach, then I’m a role model. But if I’m presenting a fake version of myself in the public and behaving like a different person behind their back, they’ll spot it.”

Also Read: Tamannaah Bhatia backs Vedaa co-star John Abraham post his argument with a journalist, says, “This time he’s telling a different kind of story”