Contract said ad was to advertise breath freshener, says Pierce Brosnan
If Hollywood actor Pierce Brosnan does not respond to the showcause notice filed against him by the Delhi government’s health department for appearing in a “surrogate advertisement” for an Indian pan masala brand, the actor could face a fine of Rs 5,000 or two years in prison, or both, said officials.
On Monday, the department issued a notice under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, that bans all kind of direct and indirect advertisements of tobacco products. Additional Director (Health) S K Arora told The Indian Express that the department had received information on the company promoting the “surrogate product” through different media platforms.
“We have issued the notice to Pierce Brosnan through the company, and also reached out to him via social media platforms. If he fails to respond to the notice, he would face punishment of a fine up to Rs 5,000 or two years in prison,” said Arora.
The Delhi government argued that areca nut or supari is a cancer-causing agent. The Irish actor has been asked to clarify his position within the next 10 days.
Brosnan, 63, had earlier said his contract stated that he was to advertise a “breath freshener/ tooth whitener” andthat he was shocked by the deceptive use of his image in the pan masala brand’s advertisement.