Murmu Urges Stars to Shun Harmful Endorsements at National Film Awards
President Droupadi Murmu asked film celebrities to avoid endorsing health-harming products and pushed for worker welfare and women's representation on juries.
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday urged film personalities to be more careful about the products they endorse, especially those that could harm public health, while addressing the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Gujarat.
Speaking about the influence that popular artists wield, the President said millions of children and young people follow the habits of successful stars. She asked celebrities not to lend their names to products that damage health, saying a true star spreads light rather than darkness.
She also encouraged the film community to promote disciplined, healthier lifestyles among audiences.
The awards, which honour achievements in Indian cinema for 2024, were presented outside New Delhi this year, moving away from the recent practice of holding the ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan. The event drew several leading figures from the industry.
Beyond endorsements, Murmu turned to the working conditions within the film industry. She said workers, assistants, small-scale artists and those still trying to establish themselves deserve respect and social security.
The President also pressed for wider representation of women on the juries that select films for the National Film Awards. She said women's participation should be ensured in every regional jury, adding that including the female perspective in any field helps build a holistic human outlook.
Her remarks on endorsements come days after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration issued show-cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their association with a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The state FDA has alleged that the campaign could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in Maharashtra, and sought explanations from the actors.
The matter has also reached the courts. The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition by PB Agro LLP challenging the Maharashtra FDA's notices, which were issued over the alleged surrogate promotion of pan masala through the Vimal Elaichi campaign.