John Abraham who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming action thriller Vedaa lashed out at the actors who endorse paan masalas. The actor is known for living a disciplined and healthy life. He has often emphasized staying fit and the importance of exercise. While other actors take up any commercials or brands to promote John only chooses to promote fitness and brands that sell no harm. Now the actor has taken an indirect jibe at Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar for promoting paan masala brands saying they are selling death.

In a recent podcast with Ranveer Allahabadia, John Abraham did not hesitate to slam those who feature in tobacco ads. He said, "If I live my life with honesty, and if I practice what I preach, then I’m a role model. But if I’m presenting a fake version of myself in public and behaving like a different person behind their back, they’ll spot it."

He further added, "People talk about fitness, and the same people endorse paan-masala. I love all my actor friends, and I’m not disrespecting any of them. I want to make it clear that I’m talking about myself. But I will not sell death, because it’s a matter of principle. Do you know that the yearly turnover for the paan-masala industry is Rs 45,000 crore? Which means that even the government is supporting it, and that’s why it isn’t illegal."

John said it all comes down to making informed choices as a person who can influence others. He also doesn’t understand actors who claim to promoting elaichi and not tobacco. On this, he added, "You're selling death. How can you live with it?" 

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar featured in the Vimal paan masala ad together and later they were criticized for advertising such brands. Following the backlash Kumar announced that he would not participate in such promotions further. SRK and Ajay are now joined by Tiger Shroff in new ads.