Yash smoking cigarette in KGF 2 teaser lights up a controversy

The Karnataka State Anti-Tobacco Cell and Health Department have objected to visuals of Yash smoking a cigarette in the KGF Chapter 2 teaser. They said the visuals do not feature the mandatory “smoking is injurious to health” warning.

A letter has been sent by the authorities concerned in this regard to the film’s director Prashant Neel, producer Vijay Kiragandur, and Yash.

The Karnataka State Anti-Tobacco Cell said the visuals violate Section 5 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) 2003. It has, therefore, decided to ask the visuals be deleted from the teaser from online platforms.

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The Karnataka Health Department has also appealed to Yash, who is playing the lead role in KGF 2, to remove the objectionable scenes from the teaser and the film. The teaser features a scene where Yash blows up a row of jeeps with a machine gun and then uses the barrel of the gun to light a cigarette.

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“Cinema star Yash is into social work, and I admire him. The Health Department has made an appeal to him about his upcoming movie. But this is not a notice. I heard that there is a smoking scene in the film and the department has asked him to remove that scene. There are many youngsters in his fan club, and this is applicable to all movies,” Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said.