President Murmu cautions film stars against endorsing harmful goods at National Film Awards

President Droupadi Murmu has called on film actors to avoid promoting products that damage public health. Speaking on Tuesday, September 22, at the 72nd National Film Awards in Gujarat, Murmu stressed that young people copy the habits of famous actors. She stated that real stars share light rather than darkness. The event took place at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, moving away from its usual venue at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi to celebrate cinema achievements for 2024. Alongside health warnings, the President asked the film industry to give proper respect and social security to workers, helpers, junior artists, and newcomers. She also demanded more women on the juries that pick films for these awards, stating that female views help create a complete human outlook. These remarks follow recent actions by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration. The state body sent show-cause notices to actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff over their ads for Vimal Elaichi. Officials claim the campaign acts as a backdoor promotion for Vimal Pan Masala, which is banned in Maharashtra. The Delhi High Court recently threw out a petition by PB Agro LLP that tried to block these state notices.