This Article is From Dec 01, 2010

Ash's smoking scene in Guzaarish a creative requirement: UTV

Ash's smoking scene in Guzaarish a creative requirement: UTV

Highlights

  • Responding to the protest letter by an anti-tobacco watchdog, producers of Guzaarish have said that the smoking scene of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film was a requirement of the script.
  • "The scene in which the character played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is shown smoking was merely a creative requirement for the script," UTV Software Communications has said in a letter to National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE).
Panaji: Responding to the protest letterby an anti-tobacco watchdog, producers of Guzaarish havesaid that the smoking scene of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in thefilm was a requirement of the script.

"The scene in which the character played by AishwaryaRai Bachchan is shown smoking was merely a creativerequirement for the script," UTV Software Communications hassaid in a letter to National Organisation for TobaccoEradication (NOTE).

NOTE had written a letter to Aishwarya on November 15protesting against the posters of the Sanjay Leela Bhansalifilm in which the former Miss World is shown puffing at acigarette.

"We understand that as a healthcare professional, itis your prerogative to oppose any activity that may promotesmoking."

"However, whilst we appreciate your concern, we wouldalso like to mention that the film Guzaarish is not aboutsmoking and neither does it promote smoking in any mannerwhatsoever," reads the letter addressed to NOTE GeneralSecretary Shekhar Salkar.

The producers have said that the scene in question isnot meant to offend the sensibilities of any person anddefinitely not to encourage the youth to indulge in smoking orpromote smoking in any manner.

NOTE, however, has refused to buy the clarificationissued by the producer.

"I have seen the film myself. There is a single scenewhich shows smoking incident. But the poster of the film picksand chooses the same frame in their advertisement campaign.Actually this is a clandestine advertisement of a tobaccoproduct," Salkar told reporters today.

In the past the organisation had issued legal noticeto Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, ShahrukhKhan, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor.

"Where is the need to show smoking scene when themovie speaks of euthanasia?" he questioned.

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