The Tamil Nadu Health Department has issued a notice to the producer, director and actor of the film Sarkar for violation of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003. The notice was issued in reference to the portrayal of the actor with a cigarette between his lips on the posters and teaser of the movie.
Speaking to TNM, Dr Kolandaisamy, the Director of the Department of Public Health said,” We have brought to their notice that the portrayal is in violation of certain sections of the COTPA and have asked them to comply with the act. This is the first step in the process. Non-compliance to this notice will lead to the department sending them legal notice followed by prosecution.”
According to him, the poster and teaser violated the sections concerned with the brand promotion of tobacco products.
This comes after the former Union Health Minister and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss criticised the actor for holding a cigarette in his lips in the poster of his new movie, Sarkar.
A day after the first-look of the movie was released, Anbumani took to Twitter to express his displeasure on the poster over a series of tweets.
You’ll look more stylish without that cigarette.#SmokingKills #SmokingCausesCancer pic.twitter.com/UUvzgrffHN
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) June 21, 2018
Shame on Actor Vijay for promoting Smoking in this first look of his next movie.#ActResponsibly #DoNotPromoteSmoking
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) June 21, 2018
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) June 21, 2018
It was in 2007 that Anbumani had urged Vijay to quit smoking in movies. He is also the person behind the ban on smoking in public places and the statutory warnings displayed on cigarette packets as well as the ban on gutkha.
Sarkar is actor Vijay’s 62nd movie and is produced by Sun Pictures and directed by AR Murugadoss.