Responding to the protest letter by an anti-tobacco watchdog, producers of Guzaarish have said that the smoking scene of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film was a requirement of the script.
"The scene in which the character played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is shown smoking was merely a creative requirement for the script," UTV Software Communications has said in a letter to National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE).
NOTE had written a letter to Aishwarya on November 15 protesting against the posters of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film in which the former Miss World is shown puffing at a cigarette.
"We understand that as a healthcare professional, it is your prerogative to oppose any activity that may promote smoking."
"However, whilst we appreciate your concern, we would also like to mention that the film Guzaarish is not about smoking and neither does it promote smoking in any manner whatsoever," reads the letter addressed to NOTE General Secretary Shekhar Salkar.
The producers have said that the scene in question is not meant to offend the sensibilities of any person and definitely not to encourage the youth to indulge in smoking or promote smoking in any manner.
NOTE, however, has refused to buy the clarification issued by the producer.
"I have seen the film myself. There is a single scene which shows smoking incident. But the poster of the film picks and chooses the same frame in their advertisement campaign. Actually this is a clandestine advertisement of a tobacco product," Salkar told reporters today.
In the past the organisation had issued legal notice to Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Shahrukh Khan, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor.
"Where is the need to show smoking scene when the movie speaks of euthanasia?" he questioned.(PTI)
NOTE had written a letter to Aishwarya on November 15 protesting against the posters of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film in which the former Miss World is shown puffing at a cigarette.
"We understand that as a healthcare professional, it is your prerogative to oppose any activity that may promote smoking."
"However, whilst we appreciate your concern, we would also like to mention that the film Guzaarish is not about smoking and neither does it promote smoking in any manner whatsoever," reads the letter addressed to NOTE General Secretary Shekhar Salkar.
The producers have said that the scene in question is not meant to offend the sensibilities of any person and definitely not to encourage the youth to indulge in smoking or promote smoking in any manner.
NOTE, however, has refused to buy the clarification issued by the producer.
"I have seen the film myself. There is a single scene which shows smoking incident. But the poster of the film picks and chooses the same frame in their advertisement campaign. Actually this is a clandestine advertisement of a tobacco product," Salkar told reporters today.
In the past the organisation had issued legal notice to Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Shahrukh Khan, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor.
"Where is the need to show smoking scene when the movie speaks of euthanasia?" he questioned.(PTI)
Posted in: Aishwarya Rai
