'All this just for some money?' - Fans lash out at Sehwag, Gavaskar for featuring in Paan Masala advertisement

Indian celebrities from almost every field are seen in the various advertisements that run on both TV and OTT apps. Companies always sign the biggest personalities in the nation to sell their products and make them financially successful.
The sportspersons in India are visible in every third ad across platforms, where they promote products for various franchises. In India, the presence of the public’s favourite sportsperson in a particular advertisement is enough to generate traffic.
It is also the reason why athletes are very careful while choosing the product to advertise, as the whole country follows them and their footmarks. Promoting anything unnecessary might cause major trouble for them and their fans.
The Paan masala products ads have always been mainstream, as several Bollywood stars have been seen promoting them over the years. The actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Ranveer Singh have been a part of such items, for which they have been criticised heavily by the public of the country.
Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag criticised for promoting Paan Masala products
The legendary cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag have been seen promoting a paan masala item that goes by the name ‘Kamla Pasand’. The ad featuring the duo has been aired on both TV and Jio Cinema amidst the Indian Premier League (IPL) carnival.
In the commercial, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag are seen advocating for their respective generations. On one hand, Gavaskar tries to praise the people of his generation by labelling them superior to the current ones, and in counter Sehwag comes up with his own arguments to defend the younger generation.
Both eventually end up on the fact that the public of every generation has the same taste and like Kamla Pasand. Clearly, the former Indian batters are trying to encourage the citizens to start having a tobacco product that has adverse effects on the human body.
This is probably the first-ever time Indian cricketers are endorsing a brand that can create serious health complications. No wonder both Gavaskar and Sehwag are receiving a lot of flak across social media platforms.
This is how they reacted:
Dear, Sunil Gavaskar and Virendra Sehwag ,
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) April 29, 2023
2 different generations consider you idols, get inspired from you and whatever you have achieved, promoting cancerous pan masala at this age of life is so shameful, all this just for some money? #KKRvsGT pic.twitter.com/l8Q0kYTPjO
Dear Viru bhai, 2 days back you won my heart after supporting our wrestlers.
— Anoop Singh (@anoopshaashtra) April 30, 2023
And today I saw you and greatest Sunny bhai in Kamla Pasand ad, can’t tell you how disappointed I was. Wish you can make all the wealth of the world. Pls don’t promote such injurious items to our youth. pic.twitter.com/S1uCugSxpE
So disappointing to see Sunny Gavaskar and Sehwag pushing Kamla Pasand…
— Neeran Karnik (@neeran) May 1, 2023
Along with the Khans, Akshay Kumar etc. surely they could have sacrificed some income and avoided endorsing (a surrogate for) an obviously harmful product. #CricketTwitter
Do these Cricket legends realise what in actual they're promoting in this youth-centric era?#kamlapasand#sunilgavaskar#virupaji
— Aakash Singh. (@ask2art) May 1, 2023
I'm sad but haven't expected this from sportspersons.
They're my Idols and this is really not a partnership that they should do pic.twitter.com/idgDDahzqv
.@virendersehwag hope you kids watch this ad and start eating kamla pasand. pic.twitter.com/LmCj01htIj
— Daemon (@Four_Tea_Five) April 30, 2023
WHAT DID I JUST SEE!
— Nish Navalkar (@YUVI_NISH) April 28, 2023
Sunil Gavaskar & Virender Sehwag are the latest brand ambassadors of Kamla Pasand & together they feature in a (needless to say) cringe-max advertisement!#IPL
Didn't expect this from you, Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar sir. Completely disappointed after seeing this. pic.twitter.com/r9dEKd3UVK
— Sir BoiesX 🕯 (@BoiesX45) April 30, 2023
73-year-old Sunil Gavaskar and 44-year-old Virender Sehwag must not promote products via surrogate advertisement.
— Abhishek Ojha (@vicharabhio) April 29, 2023
Bad example for the youth of India.
That silver Elaichi in the picture is anyways a VFX one. So don't expect us to have the real one. pic.twitter.com/ttBk0CVa67
Next time you see Sunil Gavaskar or Virender Sehwag at an airport or a function, sidle up to them and ask them for a little bit of Kamla Pasand.
— namchu (@namchu) May 2, 2023
Not expected this
— Dr Aman kashyap (@DrAmankashyap) May 7, 2023
Sunil Gavaskar & Virender Sehwag doing add of PAN MASALA.
At least players should clearly refuse such adds,money is not the everything.#shameful
It remains to be seen whether Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag part ways with this Kamla brand. Ideally, they should stop endorsing this product.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.