Bollywood Make Youngsters Drink
It cannot be
ruled out that alcohol advertising as well as depiction of drinking in films
does not leads to increased alcohol consumption among the young and when it is
promoted by Bollywood starts or youth icons on television, in print media, and
on radio it certainly expose them to alcohol.
Obviously the
instance of getting influence from endorsement of alcoholic products by youth
icons and sports stars like Manoj Bajpayee, Shahrukh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni
definitely attract the youngsters to try it for once.
The hording and
posters of Manoj Bajpayee brand ambassador of Milestone 100, endorsing “Milestone 100” (soda and Whisky) with a punch line “Thodda Aur” can be easily seen at any
road side and square of any City that can easily target youngsters since Manoj Bajpayee is a youth icon. Besides the outside advertisement of Alcoholic products
helps young people become familiar with brands of alcohol. A college student Vinay
Yadav says that “be impressed with the alcohol brands endorsed by these young
icons drinkers and even non-drinkers younger try to flavor the brand and
offers to companions”
Manoj Bajpayee is not the first when a Bollywood star endorsed alcoholic company for monetary benefit, forgetting their social responsibility towards citizens of nation; Shahrukh Khan has too endorsed an alcohol company Bagpiper for years in the name of soda water. “Some of the film and sports stars do not really care as they are only interested in increasing their bank balance for selfish reasons”. Alcohol advertising as well as depiction of drinking in films by Bollywood starts and sports star leads to increased alcohol consumption among the young, says Navneet Dubey who works in a private firm.
While Shailesh
Yadav a college student says that these public icons do promote the millions of
children of this modern generation will be blessed with good health as there
are so many who are addicted to soft/hot drinks instead of alcoholic products,”
However, realizing his responsibility towards country, one of the greatest batsmen in
the history of Indian Cricket Sachin Tendulkar declined an offer as much as Rs
20 crore annually to endorse top liquor brand in 2011. But on the other hand Mahendra Singh Dhoni
signed for a three year deal with Vijay Mallya's UB Group, which is worth Rs 26
crores. Kumar Chandan opined that the “promotion of alcoholic products in the
name of soda water use by youth icons like Manoj Bajpayee, Shahrukh and others is
directly influencing the drinking habits of India's adolescents as they copy
them with more feasibility. The exposure to alcohol use depictions in Bollywood
films is directly associated with alcohol use among young people in India”.
A Bhopal based
social worker Hafiz Khan says that “Unfortunately they rather encourage the
public and young to take alcoholic drinks. The punch line ‘Thodda Aur’ is also
so much influencing to have some more as teenagers blindly follow film and
sports stars not knowing the consequences of these addictions”.
