No smoking zone for Bollywood actors

Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan

Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan find themselves in the midst of a debate about smoking rekindled by Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss who asked the duo to stop puffing away on screen.
Ramadoss said in an interview to a television news channel recently that “we have statistics to show that 52 percent of children have their first puff because of movie celebrities” and appealed to the two actors to stub out their smoke on screen lest their huge young fan following is inspired to pick up the habit.
Khan however is not impressed by Ramadoss' appeal saying actors should not be asked to curb “creative liberties”.
The actor, however, agreed with the Health Minister over an alarming rise in the number of youths taking to smoking.
Ramadoss had said that Khan should not have smoked in the stand while watching a cricket match in Mumbai.
The Health Minister has helped a number of laws banning smoking in public places and a government move to introduce pictorial warnings about ill-effects of smoking has run into legal wrangling with tobacco companies fighting to keep it off cigarette packets.
Both Khan and Bachchan have earned the ire of anti-smoking outfits in the past for puffing on screen and in public.
In October last year, the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication had slapped a legal notice on Khan asking him to explain his actions after he was seen smoking at a cricket match and at a seminar.
Khan said the cricket stadium where he was photographed smoking is a private club and there was no “No Smoking” sign in that area.