In a surprising twist that’s left moviegoers scratching their heads, Akshay Kumar’s long-standing anti-smoking advertisement, affectionately dubbed the “Nandu ad,” has quietly been phased out from theatres. Yes, after six years of watching Akshay Kumar school Nandu about his cigarette habit and how sanitary pads would be a better investment, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to pull the plug on this cinematic staple.
The Nandu ad, once a theatrical warm-up act for Bollywood blockbusters, has now been replaced by a fresh anti-tobacco message that apparently focuses on how quitting smoking can start transforming your body within just 20 minutes. Talk about a quick fix! This new ad debuted in theatres alongside last Friday’s releases, including Alia Bhatt’s Jigra and Rajkummar Rao’s delightfully named Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. But let’s be honest, no matter how scientifically sound the new message might be, it’s just not Nandu.
No more Nandu! End of an era as #CBFC discontinues #AkshayKumar’s anti-smoking ad after more than 6 years pic.twitter.com/JYuehWBc9t
— Screen Scoop (@ScreenScoop4) October 15, 2024
For the uninitiated (though, seriously, where have you been?), the ad in question featured Akshay Kumar as a hero in more ways than one. Released around the time of his 2018 Independence Day hit Gold and also serving as a subtle plug for his social message-driven film Padman, the ad had it all: a smoking man, Nandu, played by Ajay Singh Pal, puffing away outside a hospital, and Akshay sweeping in like a sanitary-pad-saving messiah. His sage advice? “Stop spending your cigarette money and buy pads for your wife instead.” It was as educational as it was unexpected.
While the Nandu ad became part of the pre-film ritual, much like that overpriced popcorn, its sudden disappearance has left more than a few fans in mourning. “It was my favorite anti-smoking ad! No grotesque visuals, just Akshay being the social reformer he is,” lamented an official at a multiplex to Bollywood Hungama. “People knew it so well, they’d repeat the lines along with the actors. It became like a pre-show singalong. I, for one, am going to miss it.”
The removal comes as a bit of a mystery. Why replace such a beloved PSA? Did Nandu finally quit smoking? Did Akshay get too busy promoting another socially-conscious cause? Or maybe, after six years, it was just time for a change. Whatever the reason, fans of the ad are left without their familiar dose of pre-movie moral policing, and some aren’t too happy about it.
So, here’s to Nandu, Akshay, and the sanitary pads. You’ll be missed. But just like the cigarette Nandu’s been trying to quit, we’ll always have that lingering memory of a time when Bollywood PSAs were unintentionally iconic.
