Sanjay Gupta questions smoking posters of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal: What about anti-smoking ads?

On Sunday, the director shared posters of Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar and Vicky Kaushal in Love & War, all seen smoking.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has questioned Bollywood’s continued use of smoking as part of a leading man’s on-screen image and on posters, expecially. The director on Sunday shared posters featuring Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, Ranveer Singh in Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, with all three actors seen smoking in their respective looks.

Sanjay Gupta questions smoking posters of Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal as theatres show anti-smoking ads.

What he said on X

Sanjay took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday and shared a collage of the three actors. His post questioned the anti-smoking messages audiences are shown in theatres before and during films but smoking on posters is allowed. “What is the point of those unpleasant anti smoking reels we have to endure before and during films when these are the posters of the films?” he asked.

The post soon led to a discussion in the comments. One user brought up Gupta’s own 2002 film Kaante, pointing to a song in the movie that references smoking. The user wrote, “Suprised that this is coming from the director of the movie Kaante which has a song which says 'ciggrate ke dhuan ka challa banake, collar ko thodasa upar chada ke'...what an irony.”

He responded directly to the comment, pointing out that the rules and public messaging around smoking were different at the time. He wrote, “There were no non smoking ads then you genius.”

What internet said

Several other users joined the discussion and agreed with the filmmaker's broader concern about how smoking is used in films. One person compared the situation to the warnings audiences see while watching content on streaming platforms, writing, “It's a joke, it's like watching a show on Netflix and apple and being warned about alcohol consumption.”

Another user questioned the repeated association between cigarettes and masculinity in Indian cinema. The comment read, “Because these people think that cigarette is the only thing that shows a man masculine. This is the lack of creativity. All Indian film industries are suffering from 'masculinity sycophancy'. Bhaad mai gaya content, story aur creativity.”

One more user backed his argument, writing, “Couldn't agree more , dead right.”

What the new CBFC rules say

This arrives when the rules on substance use in films are also being tightened. Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) brought in a set of revised guidelines for what can be shown on screen and how certain subjects should be handled. Notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act, the new rules make anti-drug warnings mandatory in films depicting narcotics, while also reiterating restrictions on violence, sensitive subjects and content that could affect India’s relations with other countries. The changes come alongside the Centre’s reconstitution of the CBFC with a new 18-member board.

One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a mandatory warning for films that show the consumption, use or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. Such scenes will now have to carry the on-screen message: “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.”

A new panel

The revised certification rules came as the Centre announced a new CBFC board. The 18-member panel includes actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty, Pallavi Joshi and Prosenjit Chatterjee, filmmaker Priyadarshan and Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej. Shashi Shekhar Vempati will continue as the CBFC chairperson.

The panel also features filmmaker Neela Madhab Panda, actor Manoj Joshi, singer and former parliamentarian Hans Raj Hans, producer Supriya Yarlagadda, poet Yatindra Mishra, actors Roopali Ganguly and Nishigandha Wad, theatre director Waman Kendre and writer Ramesh Patange.