You imagine a 10 second advertisement when a famous actor appears on the screen and advocates using a product, people start believing in the good quality of the product. The actor may never say, buy this; he just appears along side the product. If the logic about differentiating the facts from fiction is valid, how do you explain this? When movie icons like Amitabh or Shahrukh Khan appear on television and appeal people to go to polio booths for immunisation of their children, the whole country follows them; similarly when such movie stars consume tobacco products on the screen and flash the brand name there is no reason why the impressionable youngsters will not do it? Do you have any answer?
If we can reduce tobacco consumption by 7% just by blocking the advertisement of tobacco products, imagine the ultimate result of deglamorizing tobacco. It is something to be watched to be realised; how many people can be saved from dying a premature death can not be imagined at present; well it may never be realised but this move will definitely save millions (34 million till 2020; according to WHO estimates) of young people and add quality years to their life. Remember reduction in consumption is also reduction in deaths caused due to tobacco, which at present (in 2004) are near 10 million every year.
Will such a ban look aesthetic? How will we depict certain emotions? Such questions are put forward on various news channels by some of the actors pretending to be ignorant of the real effects. I ask them; sir, what is important to you; your life or aesthetics. If real things are so important to you then why the hell you use duplicates and animations to enact some scenes? If anyone calls oneself an actor, I believe he/she must also have some respect for the Natya Shastra and such like other basic books on acting and stage management. Sir, can you tell me which acting book in the world talks of using tobacco as an aid to acting? For your information “Bharata Natya Shastra†forbids use of any form of intoxicant while acting, rather on the other hand it emphasises in expressing human emotions through face and body parts. There is no such human emotion which requires the aid of tobacco. If you still advocate the use of tobacco products in movie and also insist on yourself being called an actor, please rethink about your abilities as an actor.
As for the anti tobacco scroll, we all have seen movies with subtitles all our lives, why the fuss if the subtitle warns about the use of tobacco. If someone still thinks that it will compromise the aesthetics then let me remind him that more important than aesthetics is the mission of preventing our youngsters from falling into a well known and identified death trap. Their healthy life is sine-quo-non. Let’s understand that we have committed mistakes in the past and now we have a chance to make amends. He who admits and rectifies is the bravest of all.
A big hand for Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and his team. The step is of historic importance and the whole world will follow it sooner or later, let there be no mistake about this.
May I also quote the ten paradoxical commandments by Kent M. Keith, which remains a source of inspiration for people working for any common cause:
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for the underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
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