Akshay Kumar’s anti-smoking ad pulled; netizens say ‘Mukesh and Nandu will..’

Apart from his big releases Sarfira and Khel Khel Mein, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar was majorly in the news this year for his epic cameo in Stree 2. Rajkummar Rao was hilarious as Vicky while Shraddha Kapoor was badass, but a major reason that made crows go crazy in theatres was Akshay’s entry as Sarkata’s descendant. Well, he is the king of cameos because he has made an appearance in several films. We are talking about his anti-smoking advertisement which plays right before any new film in the cinema hall. It was a delight to see Akshay with Nandu before every movie. But sadly, the popular ad has reportedly been discontinued.
According to latest buzz, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has taken the decision to pull down Akshay’s anti-smoking advertisement and have replaced it with another commercial. In the OG ad, Akshay enters the scene on a cycle and asks Nandu, played by actor Ajay Singh Pal, why he’s doing ‘foo foo’ (smoking) outside the hospital. When Akshay learns about Nandu’s wife’s health, he explains the importance of spending money on sanitary pads instead of cigarettes. Well, netizens are going to miss this ad. Many have even bid the advertisement adieu on Twitter.
Talking about Nandu and fictional character Mukesh, who also earned fame thanks to another anti-smoking ad, one social media user tweeted: “Mukesh and Nandu will forever remain in our memory. Integral part of our cinema viewing experience even if u don’t bother looking up from your phone while the ads were playing”, whereas another netizen shared, “Wow, what a journey! Nandu’s ad was iconiC 😢 It’s bittersweet to see them go, but Akshay’s impact will always be remembered. #EndOfAnEra.” Meanwhile, an Akshay fan joked: “Literally END OF AN ERA…! 😂 #AkshayKumar was Continuously visible in Theatres for 6 years, if not in a Film then definitely in this Ad 🫡Mast Ad tha Vaise 😜.”
Nobody could ever match Akshay and his iconic ‘foo foo’ dialogue. But who do you think would be impactful enough to star in the replacement of this ad if it is made?