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Pierce Brosnan 'shocked and saddened' by 'deceptive' Indian pan masala ad

He didn't know what he was endorsing.

Manish Singh

on October 21, 2016

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan says he felt betrayed by an Indian company which put his face to sell a range of "paan masala" products. Brosnan also apologised to his fans for inadvertently endorsing a health-damaging product.

Brosnan left many surprised earlier this month after he starred in an ad endorsing an India mouth fresher and tobacco brand. Though the products the debonair actor was endorsing don’t contain tobacco, they carry a government-mandated warning about being "injurious to health". After seeing the ad, which ran in India’s most circulated newspaper, many of his fans were hurt and wondered if Brosnan was even aware of what he was peddling. And it turns out, he wasn't.

Brosnan said he is "shocked and saddened" by Pan Bahar's ad, calling out the company for "unauthorised and deceptive" use of his image. The actor, who has previously played James Bond, said the Indian company told him that the products he was endorsing were "all-natural containing neither tobacco, supari, nor any other harmful ingredient."

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“As a man who has spent decades championing women’s healthcare and environmental protection, I was distressed to learn of Pan Bahar’s unauthorized and deceptive use of my image to endorse their range of pan masala products,” he told People magazine in a statement. “I would never have entered into an agreement to promote a product in India that is dangerous to one’s health.”

Brosnan added that he maintains the "greatest love for India and its people," but he has now demanded the Indian company to remove his image from all their products. He also accused the company for "grossly manipulating" media outlets to falsely present him as a brand ambassador for their products. This was "in violation of my contract," he added.

As expected, Twitteratis had a field day at Brosnon's expense.