On October 7, India woke up to the image of James Bond selling paan masala. ‘Paan Singh Tumour’ jokes aside, the country went into a collective tizzy about the absurdity of Pierce Brosnan endorsing a product that is linked with cancer.
Cut to October 21 and it turned out Brosnan actually didn’t know what he was endorsing. The 63-year-old said his contract stated that he was to advertise a “breath freshener/tooth whitener”.
“As a man who has spent decades championing women’s healthcare and environmental protection, I was distressed to learn of Pan Bahar’s unauthorised and deceptive use of my image to endorse their range of pan masala products. I would never have entered into an agreement to promote a product in India that is dangerous to one’s health,” he has said in a statement.
Predictably, Twitterati had several snarky one-liners up their sleeves touching on all subjects, ranging from Brexit (understandable) and Jayalalithaa (just what.) to several shaken and stirred puns.
Pierce Brosnan says he didn't know reality of Pan Bahar before he signed up to advertise. This also happened to Britishers during >#Brexit .
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) >October 21, 2016
Pierce Brosnan thought he was endorsing a, "tooth whitener." Pan Bahar does whiten your teeth. They fall out. Then you get brand new ones.
— Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) >October 21, 2016
Pierce Brosnan will soon find out that the "Shaken but not stirred Martini" he was having all these years was actually Masala Limca.
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) >October 21, 2016
This tooth whitener will turn your teeth red. ~ Pierce Brosnan for Pan Bahar
— Moon (@moonsez) >October 21, 2016
There were plenty of Pierce Brosnan-the-tourist jokes:
"Pan Bahar's a tooth whitener" Pierce Brosnan: "Okay" *points to an electricity pole* "...and that's the Qutub Minar" Pierce: "Beautiful"
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) >October 21, 2016
Tourist Guide: You see the Taj Mahal. Do you know why it's so white? Pierce Brosnan : Shahjahan used to eat Paan Bahar? *guide hugs him*
— Sahil Shah (@SahilBulla) >October 21, 2016
And one user skewered AIADMK’s habit of using outrageous posters to declare their adoration to Amma:
Pierce Brosnan should know that we don't need ANYONE'S permission to make them endorse for us. He should feel happy - at least he got paid. >pic.twitter.com/XS6siWJaBP
— Shirish Kunder (@ShirishKunder) >October 21, 2016
All in a day’s work, we say.
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