 "Pierce Brosnan features in a Pan Bahar add (Image credit: @GitaSKapoor)")
Pan Bahar, which has been embroiled in a row with Pierce Brosnan over his promotion of a breath freshener in India has insisted that it has not breached the contract it signed with the former James Bond star. Brosnan has said that Pan Bahar “grossly manipulated” media outlets to falsely present him as a brand ambassador for their entire line of products.
Accordin to a report in Times of India, the manufacturers of Pan Bahar have reiterated that the product does not contain any nicotine or tobacco, and that there has been no violation of the contract signed by Pierce Brosnan. The company however refused to divulge details on whether Brosnan's image will be dropped from the advertisment.
The former James Bond actor was critised on social media for advertising Pan Bahar, which it is claimed contains cancer-causing ingredients.Brosnan, who lost his first wife and daughter to the disease, said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" following the criticism. Brosnan has demanded that the company remove his image from all their products as they violated the contract.
Last week, Pan Bahar had brought out full-page advertisements in national dailies and digital ads across mediums featuring Brosnan as the brand ambassador. While this caught everyone’s attention — Brosnan’s endorsement soon became a trending topic on social media — it also drew flak from many who frowned at the international icon endorsing a potentially unhealthy product.
Spokesman for Pan Bahar Dinesh Jain told TOI: "The advertisement was made as per the contract between Pierce Brosnan and the company, following all the formalities. Everything was done as per the contract. The product is 0% tobacco...It is a mouth freshener and there is no trace of any tobacco in the product. Hence the advertisement was made as per the law."
Pan Bahar, also known as pan masala, is made from a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. It is considered harmful for health as it contains some carcinogenic ingredients. In India, several states and Union territories like Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi have banned the sale of such products. Products like these are also criticised for causing red spit stains in public places across the country.
On October 16, 2016, Central Board of Film Certification had banned the advertisement from being aired on television and movie halls.
