Sunny Deol reveals why he says no to pan masala, gutkha endorsements

Actor Sunny Deol has opened up about his decision to stay away from pan masala and gutkha endorsements, saying he does not want to promote something he does not believe in. The actor said he has turned down such offers because his conscience does not allow him to endorse products he does not support.During a podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, the actor was asked about his absence from such advertisements, to which he said, “I don’t do pan masala ads and kabhi karunga bhi nahi (I won’t do it ever). I wouldn't do any of those things. Atey hai but nahi karunga (They do come to me but I refuse). I don’t want to do something which I don’t believe in. Main in sab cheezon ko manta nahi hoon (I don’t believe in these things). I don’t think this is a good thing to promote. Kitni cheezein nahi karta because mera zameer nahi manta isliye aur jo karni hoti hai voh kar leta hoon (I don’t do a lot of things because my inner conscience does not allow me to. And I do things which I am okay with).Further, the actor was also asked about his absence from advertisements, with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgn, among others, being cited as examples of stars who have featured in multiple advertisements.“If I represent India and I represent the way of everything else, somehow ads don’t come to me. Why don't they come to me, I have no idea. Just like films which were not coming before, I don’t know the same about the ads,” the 68-year-old actor added. The Gadar actor’s remarks come amid the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing show-cause notices to Bollywood actors Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff over their Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The regulator has claimed that the advertisement amounts to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in the state.The Maharashtra FDA has intensified its action against the sale and promotion of tobacco and pan masala in the state, bringing the three actors under the regulator’s scrutiny. The notices, issued this week, seek explanations from Devgn, Khan and Shroff regarding their roles in the advertisement. According to the FDA, the advertisement creates an association with the Vimal Pan Masala brand and could amount to its indirect promotion under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.Meanwhile, on the work front, Sunny Deol is currently seen in the Partition drama Batwara 1947 alongside Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol and Ali Fazal. He will next be seen in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, where he will be playing the role of Lord Hanuman.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Aug 16, 2026 11:16 IST