&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Sanjay Gupta questions cigarette use in film promotions after Vicky Kaushal's Love & War poster")
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has recently spoken about the use of cigarettes as a visual element in film promotions. On Sunday, he took to social media to share a collage featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, with all three actors seen smoking in promotional material for Animal, Dhurandhar and Love & War, respectively.
Sanjay Gupta on smoking in film posters
Gupta shared the three visuals together on X, and wrote, "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?"
His post came shortly after the makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War unveiled Vicky Kaushal's first look. In the poster, the actor can be seen lighting a cigarette with a vintage-style lighter while looking intensely into the camera.
The film also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt and is expected to hit theatres on January 21, 2027.
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Social media users react
His post quickly grabbed attention and users also revisited Gupta's filmography. One social media user referred to Gupta's 2002 crime drama Kaante and wrote, “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 to the criticism, “There were no non smoking ads then you genius.”
Another user said, “It's a joke, it's like watching a show on Netflix and apple and being warned about alcohol consumption.”
"Because these people think that cigarette is the only thing that shows a man masculine. This is the lack of creativity. All Indian film industries are suffering from 'masculinity sycophancy'. Bhaad mai gaya content, story aur creativity," one said.
Another user wrote, “Couldn't agree more , dead right.”
This comes after recent changes to India's film certification framework concerning the depiction of drugs. The revised guidelines notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 make anti-drug warnings mandatory for films depicting the consumption, use, or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
The prescribed warning is “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs.”
