The director, producers and actors of the recently released comedy-drama movie 'Badhaai Ho received a notice from Delhi government's Health Department, asking them to remove smoking scenes as well brand promotions of tobacco products from the film.
Additional Director (Health), Dr. S.K. Arora, said there are a lot of smoking scenes and also a tobacco shop displaying tobacco packs shown repeatedly in the movie which are in violation of Section 5 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, which imposes a ban on all kinds of direct and indirect advertisement of tobacco products.
The offence is punishable under Section 22 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, with imprisonment which may extend to 2 years or with fine which may extend to Rs. 1,000 or with both in case of first conviction and for subsequent conviction the punishment is imprisonment which may extend to 5 years and with fine which may extend to Rs. 5,000.
"We have been repeatedly issuing notices to Bollywood but they continue to violate rules. The Bollywood industry apart from legal has moral responsibility. The industry has to wake up and feel responsible for the country, especially youngsters who follow them blindly like god," Dr. Arora said.
Further, detailing the health hazards of tobacco, Dr. Arora said that 40 per cent of all cancers, 90 per cent of oral cancers, 40 per cent of tuberculosis cases and 20-30 per cent of diabetes, hypertension, heart attack and brain stroke are because of tobacco consumption.
