Sanjay Gupta calls out smoking imagery in Animal, Dhurandhar and Love & War posters; asks why anti-smoking reels are shown in theatres
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has questioned the continued use of smoking imagery in Bollywood film promotions, pointing to what he sees as a contrast between smoking visuals in posters and the anti-smoking messages audiences are shown in cinemas. On Sunday, September 27, Gupta shared a collage on X featuring Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar and Vicky Kaushal in Love & War. The three posters showed the actors with cigarettes as part of their respective character looks. Sharing the images, Gupta questioned the purpose of the anti-smoking messages that audiences encounter while watching films in theatres. He wrote, "What is the point of those unpleasant anti-smoking reels we have to endure before and during films when these are the posters of the films (sic)?" The filmmaker's post quickly prompted a discussion on X, with users debating whether smoking continues to be presented as a part of a leading man's screen image despite the presence of tobacco-re...