Sanjay Gupta questions smoking posters of leading men in Bollywood: What about anti-smoking ads?

**Mumbai, September 27:** Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has questioned the continued use of cigarette-smoking imagery in Bollywood film posters, pointing to what he sees as a contradiction between such promotional material and the anti-smoking messages audiences encounter in cinemas.

On Sunday, Gupta took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and shared a collage featuring posters of Ranbir Kapoor from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s *Animal*, Ranveer Singh from Aditya Dhar’s *Dhurandhar* and Vicky Kaushal from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s *Love & War*.

The three posters have one prominent element in common, with each of the leading actors shown smoking a cigarette.

Gupta questioned the purpose of the anti-smoking advertisements that audiences are required to watch before and during films when smoking continues to be used as a visual element in the promotion of movies.

“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? (sic),” he wrote.

The post quickly sparked a discussion among users on the social media platform, with some pointing out that Gupta himself had previously featured smoking in his films.

One user brought up Gupta’s 2002 crime thriller *Kaante*, in which Sanjay Dutt is seen smoking during one of the songs. The user highlighted the apparent contradiction, writing: “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.”

Gupta responded by arguing that the public messaging and regulations surrounding smoking were different at the time.

“There were no non-smoking ads then, you genius,” he replied.

The discussion also moved beyond the use of cigarettes in posters, with another user arguing that smoking continues to be associated with masculinity in Indian cinema.

“Because these people think that a cigarette is the only thing that shows a man is masculine. This is a lack of creativity. All Indian film industries are suffering from 'masculinity sycophancy'. Bhaad mai gaya content, story aur creativity,” the user wrote.

Gupta’s post has consequently opened up a wider conversation around the way smoking is portrayed in Indian films and their promotional campaigns, particularly when audiences are simultaneously presented with anti-smoking warnings in theatres.