If one is not hugely mistaken, Amitabh Bachchan used to do aTV commercial for a prickly heat powder manufactured by Boro Plus, for whichthe actor was the brand ambassador. It seems the actor has been left a touchprickly since then.
Jokes apart, it is not every day that you find an actor ofBachchan’s stature and experience indicating to the world that he wouldinitiate legal action against a police force.
Over what? For using his image in one of theiradvertisements.
For what? An anti-Naxal campaign in a Maoistinsurgency-affected area of Bihar, urging the locals to shun the path ofviolence and exhorting the youth to join the forces.
Then what? Presumably angry at this brazen act of royaltyviolation, Bachchan tweeted: "Just read news about my photograph beingused by Bihar Police .. This is illegal, no consent taken or given, lawyers inaction now…"
Realising their slip-up, Kaimur police removed the posters.In a public apology, the district's superintendent of police, UmashankarSudhanshu, was quoted by PTI saying, “We have removed the banner withBachchan's poster from the only place in Adhaura block that it has been put upto educate the youths. I say sorry to Mr Bachchan for using his poster tomotivate and educate the youths."
Admitting that the publicity material was used without theactor’s consent, Sudhanshu said the police were only using the actor’s name toeducate the youths ” in “purely in public interest”, and without any“commercial motive”.
While it is no one’s case that police and municipalauthorities across the country should start using images of celebrities in“public interest”, is Bachchan’s retort, literally threatening legal action,warranted? Agreed, Kaimur police should have sought Bachchan’s prior “consent”,but a veteran actor ” nay, a star, and with the prefix ‘super’ attached at that” should have better sense, right? Yes, it is illegal, and the Kaimur SPshouldn’t expect brownie points for the apology ” in fact, he was legally,morally and ethically bound to issue one ” but should not a veteran, a mandeemed living legend and perceived as sensible, unlike many of his Bollywoodcolleagues, learn to be a little more tolerant, judicious, appreciative andconcerned about issues that merit tolerance, judiciousness, comprehension andconcern?
Couldn’t he simply have asked his lawyer to get the Kaimurcops to seek his permission, and then, may be, come out with a statement sayinghe would lend his name and image to the fight against Maoist terror, which is abigger threat and kills more people each year in large swathes of land acrossat least seven or eight states than all external/external-infused aggressionput together?
And what, pray, did Bachchan seek to achieve by going publicabout the fact that he has prompted lawyers to be “in action now”? Scorebrownie points? Come now, Mr Bachchan. Off your high horses. That tweet ofyours sounded just about as mature, elegant and sharp-witted as afive-year-old’s rants against someone who has eaten her/his chocolates ”wrongly, in violation of stipulated logic.
What next, then, Mr Bachchan? I just read in a newspaperthat manufacturers and retailers in Jamshedpur are selling “Amitabh Bachchanatom bombs” ahead of Diwali. If you read this, don’t forget your lawyer. Andyour Twitter handle.
