For six years, Akshay Kumar’s anti-smoking advertisement became a staple in cinemas, raising awareness about the dangers of smoking and encouraging the use of sanitary pads for women’s health.

However, recently, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) decided to remove the advertisement, and replaced it with new campaigns that focus more on the immediate health benefits of quitting smoking. This change marks a significant moment in public health messaging through Indian cinema, but Akshay Kumar’s ad left a lasting impact beyond discouraging smoking.

The original ad, which first debuted during the release of Akshay Kumar’s film Gold in 2018, featured Akshay advising a character named Nandu to quit smoking.

Instead, he suggests using the money saved to buy sanitary pads for his wife, which convey a message about menstrual hygiene. The advertisement became popular not only for its anti-smoking message, but also for its strong advocacy of the use of sanitary napkins, directly linking the harmful effects of tobacco to the importance of women’s health.

This dual-tier campaign was unique and connected deeply with the audience, especially when it was associated with Akshay Kumar’s 2018 film PadMan, which was based on the topic of menstrual hygiene,

What set this ad apart from others was its mass appeal and direct message. While anti-smoking campaigns have long been a part of Indian cinema, the aspect of sanitary napkins has made this campaign stand out. It started a conversation on two major public health issues: smoking and menstrual hygiene.

By focusing on the latter, the advertisement addressed the often neglected topic of women’s health, especially in rural areas where access to and understanding of hygiene products is limited. It started conversations about the need for menstrual hygiene, furthering the idea that women should have access to sanitary products to avoid health complications. While the primary focus was on smoking, the underlying message about menstrual health helped destigmatize the issue in a way that few advertisements had done before.

By combining two important messages in a single campaign, Akshay Kumar’s ad managed to reach a diverse audience while raising awareness on a large scale.

The CBFC’s decision to change the ad comes as a part of its evolving approach towards public health campaigns. The new campaign takes a more scientific approach, highlighting how the body begins to heal within just 20 minutes of quitting smoking.

This change in focus is notable, as it aims to provide immediate, factual information to smokers, without using any celebrity personas. Similarly, movies like jigra And that video of Vicky and Vidya was recently released without Akshay Kumar’s ad, which shows that CBFC’s new campaign is gradually moving away from using star power to convey its messages. Are. However, the impact of Akshay Kumar’s ad goes beyond theatres.

Its legacy in pushing both anti-smoking and menstrual hygiene awareness is likely to be remembered, even as the CBFC moves towards newer, more factual campaigns.