R Madhavan Rejects Pan Masala Ad: Turns Down Crores, Says – I Won’t Engage in Work That Harms the Audience

(Photo: IANS)

R. Madhavan, who played the villain in the hit horror film ‘Shaitan,’ is currently seeking roles that challenge him daily. Currently, he is in London shooting for his next film, a sports drama. Additionally, Madhavan is set to work on the biopic of renowned engineer Gopalaswami Duraiswamy. Meanwhile, he has turned down a lucrative offer to become the brand ambassador for a major pan masala company, which had offered him a substantial sum just for using his image.

Pan masala companies have aggressively targeted stars from various film industries, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and even Hollywood. Celebrities like Pierce Brosnan, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan, and Manoj Bajpayee have endorsed these products. In the South, stars like Mahesh Babu and Tiger Shroff have also appeared in pan masala ads. A major pan masala company from Uttar Pradesh, seeking to appeal to a younger audience, had identified Madhavan as an ideal ambassador due to his trustworthy image and strong fan following. Despite the significant financial offer, Madhavan rejected the proposal outright.

Currently, Madhavan serves as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and has consistently avoided endorsements that could negatively impact youth health. Interestingly, other stars known for their fitness, like Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, have endorsed pan masala, and their films have struggled at the box office. Even Manoj Bajpayee, who promoted a pan masala brand for years, has seen his career as a leading man wane. However, the cinematic brand value of icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, and Ajay Devgan remains largely unaffected by their association with pan masala.

Madhavan’s film ‘Rocketry’ recently won the National Film Award for Best Film, and ‘Shaitan’ was a box office success this year. He is currently working on the sports drama ‘Test,’ directed by S. Shashikant, alongside Nayanthara and Siddharth. He’s also involved in the biopic of engineer Gopalaswami Duraiswamy Naidu, directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar. Other projects include a family drama by Mithran R Jawahar, a biopic of Chempakaraman Pillai directed by Rajesh Touchriver, and a sci-fi film ‘Zee’ by Swati Sinha. Additionally, Madhavan has completed his special appearance in Akshay Kumar’s biopic of C. Shankaran Nair.