Saif Ali Khan in legal trouble for 'Go Goa Gone'

Saif Ali Khan

is in legal trouble once again. For his upcoming film, ‘Go Goa Gone’, Saif Ali Khan is seen with a cigar in his mouth on the posters. The makers undertook a massive publicity campaign so as to promote their film. They put up large number of advertisements in the newspapers as well as the internet. Shekhar Salkar, general secretary of National Organization for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) – India, has registered a complaint with the North Goa district collector as well as the inspector general of police. He wants to seek punishment for Saif under the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA), 2003. His contention is, “These advertisements must have been already seen by lakhs of Goans as well as others in India and abroad. The display of a popular icon smoking a cigar is the violation of Section 5(1) of the COPTA.” At the same time, he also referred to the film’s posters which show a semi nude woman, where a cigarette burn hole can be seen through her torso.
 Excerpts from the letter that he wrote to Saif Ali Khan read as, “Needless to say, a person of your stature has to be utterly careful in public appearances -- both as an artiste and as an individual. You are a well-informed gentleman and I need not mention to you that this action of their idol would be imitated by millions of your followers, eventually pushing most of them in the jaws of cancer and a premature, early death. Remember Saifji, these millions fervently prayed for a speedy recovery during your recent illness of chest pain. Unmindful of the imminent consequences, the youths would embrace this menace, just because they would want to imitate their icon.”
According to Salkar, these stars must be careful in choosing their public appearances as they are huge icons. And Saif Ali Khan has clearly violated the country’s anti smoking laws.
In the past, Shekhar Salkar had dragged Amitabh Bachchan to court. The issue in that case was the publicizing use of tobacco in his film, “Family”.
Shah Rukh Khan was seen lighting up during one of the Indian Premiere League matches. He co-owns the team Kolkata Knight Riders. The organization had then filed a complaint against him as well.
There was a complaint against Ajay Devgn too for smoking in a government owned premise while shooting for one of his films.