When Actor Raj Kumar Rejected the Offer for ‘Charminar’ Advertisement

By Shantisarup Tripathi

In recent years, the greed for quick money has led Bollywood stars to focus more on becoming brand ambassadors for products like Vimal Pan Masala rather than focusing on acting in films. Among these stars are Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff. However, back in the early 90s, when the owner of Charminar cigarette company offered a sum higher than what the leading stars of that time were earning per film to become a part of a Charminar advertisement film, one renowned star outright rejected the offer. This actor, who never did advertisements throughout his career, believed that he was an artist whose job was to entertain people through films.

Interestingly, Charminar cigarette advertisements in those days used to have an emotional appeal. Between 1980 and 1985, popular actor Jackie Shroff used to promote Charminar cigarettes, telling viewers, “Relax, have a Charminar!” For a long time, Bollywood has been in a frenzy where audiences no longer want to see films in theaters or on OTT platforms. The reason behind this is simple: actors today are not focused on performing in films for the sake of art or entertainment; instead, they are more interested in finding ways to earn quick money.

This is why we now see some actors finishing a film in just 40 days or even doing four films in a year. These actors openly accept and proudly boast about this. But what does this mean? Can you really measure art in terms of the number of days worked? Can human emotions be expressed accurately within the set timeframe you decide? Every actor and every human being is aware of this truth. This is why actors who do four films a year find themselves facing a string of 17 consecutive box office failures, yet their faces remain unfazed because they are constantly working. In between, they manage to do a few advertisements and make hundreds of crores.

In contrast, even in the 1970s, when the biggest star of that time, Raj Kumar, rejected the offer for Charminar's advertisement, he did so because he believed in being an artist, and his work was meant to entertain people. Raj Kumar could have easily accepted the offer. After all, it was just a one-day shoot for Charminar. Moreover, this was a time when cigarette packets did not carry cancer warning labels, as they do today. Back then, Charminar was being sold without any cautionary pictures or warnings on the packaging. In fact, today, advertisements for pan, gutka, and cigarettes carry stark warnings about the fatal diseases these products cause.

Today, however, every actor is keen to do advertisements. In fact, some stars now tell their agencies clearly, “Bring me ads, not films,” so they can earn enough in a day’s shoot to not have to work the entire month. There are even rumors in the corridors of Bollywood that some stars prefer doing two to three ad films rather than acting in a full-length movie because ad films don’t require long shoots and pay them up to 20 to 30 crore rupees.

The Story of Charminar Cigarettes and Raj Kumar

Founded on November 10, 1930, in Hyderabad, VST Industries Limited was granted authorization to operate in the Nizam’s region. After a few years, the majority of VST's equity was acquired by British American Tobacco, leaving the original owners with only five percent equity. By the early 1970s, the Indian government instructed all companies to reduce foreign holdings to less than 40 percent. Charminar was the first brand to emerge as the face of the company, and it was being sold in the Nizam’s territory.

During the Second World War, it is said that soldiers stationed in Hyderabad loved smoking Charminar cigarettes so much that it quickly became a national brand, eventually ranking among the world’s top 10 selling brands by volume. However, in the late 1990s, due to growing awareness about the dangers of smoking, the company faced severe financial losses, and Charminar slowly disappeared from the market.

Between 1980 and 1985, actor Jackie Shroff had been the face of Charminar Cigarettes. However, after that, the cigarette company’s owners sought an even more popular actor, someone with a similar physique, powerful presence, and toughness—someone who could also represent masculinity. This search led them to none other than the iconic actor Raj Kumar, who was known for his powerful performances and impeccable screen presence.

Raj Kumar, having worked with famed director Mehul Kumar on films like Jangbaaz, Murte Dam Tak, and Tiranga, was considered one of the biggest stars in the 1970s. No director or actor could easily match Raj Kumar’s fame, and his image among audiences was that of a patriot and a man who cared for the well-being of the people. At that time, Raj Kumar's fee per film was around twenty lakh rupees.

So, when Charminar's owners wanted Raj Kumar to endorse their brand, they offered him twenty-one lakh rupees, more than his usual film fee, for just two days of shooting. This was at a time when the price of 10 grams of 24-carat gold was just 4,000 rupees. Despite this lucrative offer, Raj Kumar declined it. The director, who was a good friend of Raj Kumar, had to explain to the cigarette company owners that Raj Kumar would never agree to do any advertisement, let alone one for cigarettes.

But, in today’s time, every actor seems ready to promote anything for money, even if it’s harmful to people. It has become a trend that actors no longer hesitate to do advertisements. In fact, many stars now pressure their agencies and managers to secure ad deals, preferring them over acting in films because of the quick money they bring in.

This shift in attitude from the 1970s, when Raj Kumar turned down the Charminar offer due to his artistic values, to the current era, where every actor seems eager to promote products for the highest bidder, highlights the changing priorities of the industry.

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