Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shraddha Kapoor called out for ad rule breach: Should celebs alone face flak?

The Advertising Standards Council of India recently released a list of celebrities who failed to follow due diligence while advertising a product or a brand. Cricketer MS Dhoni tops the list that also includes cricketer Virat Kohli, actors Bhuvan Bam, Jim Sarbh, Vishal Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shibani Dandekar, and Sara Ali Khan. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are among the top celebs who have been named by ASCI for violating rules Actor Gajraj Rao, who also owns an ad film company, opines that actors are being paid to do a job, and while it’s the social responsibility of every individual to not deceive the public, it is unjust to accuse and take legal action against celebs for such matters. Advocates Syed Tamjeed Ahmad and Rakhee Biswas point out how in January, the Centre had guidelines “requiring influencers/celebrities to satisfy themselves about the authenticity of the manufacturer’s/service provider’s claims before advertising/endorsing any product or service”. They further share, “Even the Consumer Protection Act 2019 defines ‘falsely describing product/services or giving a false guarantee’ as a misleading Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary-General, ASCI, understands and acknowledges the fact that celebrities are unlikely to have domain expertise for the products they endorse, and hence suggests, “to get their due diligence by consulting a reputed expert.