A hospital in Kozhikode district of Kerala has apologised after facing backlash for using the photo of Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman in an advertisement intended to promote the hospital’s skincare treatment facility. The poster was of Vadakara cooperative hospital and was called out for being ‘racist and ignorant’, by many.
The now-removed poster featured Freeman and said ‘Get your skin tags, DPNs, warts, milia, molluscum and comedones removed through simple procedures easily in a single visit’. The picture of the advertisement was also circulated in the social media, leading to outrage.
Film critic GP Ramachandran, in a Facebook post in Malayalam, said that ‘the Vadakara cooperative hospital is an insult and disgrace to the great cooperative sector in Kerala. It is also an insult to the racial awareness of Vadakara natives and the worldview of Keralities’. He also shared a list of movies starring Freeman, which was posted by author Sree Parvathy.
Meanwhile, in a press release, Vadakara Co-operative Hospital Board has apologised for the mistake. It said, “The picture on the billboard of the dermatology department of Vadakara Co-operative Hospital is an unintentional mistake. The board was removed and action was taken as soon as it was brought to our notice. The billboard image has become a controversial topic on social media and we tender unconditional apologies if it has hurt anyone in any way.”
Morgan Freeman was also involved in a mix-up of images with Nelson Mandela in 2013, which was reported from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. At that time, Freeman was mistaken for Mandela and his photo was put up on a billboard as a tribute to the leader. The image was later changed.