Following a notice from Tamil Nadu’s Health Department to the makers of actor Vijay's Sarkar over the posters which featured him smoking a cigarette , the said poster was removed from the official social media pages of actor Vijay, Sun Pictures and director A.R. Murugadoss.
The poster elicited sharp reactions from political parties, especially the Pattali Makkal Katchi, whose leader Anbumani Ramadoss criticised the actor via a tweet on the day the poster was released on social media.
“Shame on Actor Vijay for promoting smoking in this first look of his next movie,” Dr. Anbumani said, urging the actor to act responsibly and not promote smoking.
On June 21, Dr. Anbumani said that Mr. Vijay would look more “stylish” without a cigarette. In an effort to highlight how the actor had gone back on his word, Dr. Anbumani had shared a statement made by Mr. Vijay in the past that he would not smoke any more on screen.
Forum lauds action
The Tamilnadu People’s Forum for Tobacco Control (TNPFTC) has appreciated the Health Department for taking action against posters of Vijay-starrer Sarkar .
In a press release, S. Cyril Alexander, forum’s State convenor, said the Department had sent a notice to the director, actor and producer of the film in connection with the poster, in which Mr. Vijay was seen holding a lighter and smoking a cigarette.
This was in violation of the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. The Department has asked them to withdraw the poster from digital and social media.
He called for severe action against violators so that the film industry would do its part in upholding the tobacco control laws.
