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P.T. Jyothi Datta

NEW DELHI, March 5

FROM Shah Rukh Khan lighting up his cigarette in the blockbuster Devdas to Vivek Oberoi sporting a mean look and a beedi in Company — Bollywood has always been an ally to the tobacco industry, unwittingly or otherwise, points out a World Health Organisation (WHO) study.

Silver screen's badshaah, Shah Rukh Khan accounts for 4.4 per cent of all tobacco consumption incidents and southern superstar Rajnikanth has a "very unique style of smoking" that youth like to copy, observes the study commissioned by WHO Geneva and executed by India-based Strategic Mediaworks Private Ltd.

A whopping 76 per cent of all Indian films portray tobacco consumption and the `smokescreen' players comprise some of the biggest names in Bollywood — be it the Big B or the "new age demi-God" Shah Rukh. Not surprising then, that the WHO has declared 2003 as World No Tobacco Day theme as "Tobacco-free films and tobacco-free fashion".

Last week, the WHO's global treaty on tobacco had been ratified by most countries. But even as it has been seeking to put an end to the glamorisation of tobacco in films - the study contends that the tobacco industry has shifted its focus from Hollywood to Bollywood. "Hollywood has been a prime target of tobacco companies... but now they are targeting other film industries around the world." The reason being: "By virtue of its size, popularity and tremendous reach, Bollywood has the power to influence attitudes and the behaviour of its audiences especially the youth."

The study looked at tobacco incidences in Indian cinema between 1991 and 2002 - a total of 440 films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Modelled on the study of the American Lung Association in California, the Indian study scanned box office successes and television audience surveys. Youngsters in the 16-18 age group, both male and female in Delhi and Mumbai and Bollywood industry professionals — actors, directors, script-writers - were interviewed.

The country has 250 million tobacco users, of this 14 per cent smoke cigarettes, 50 per cent smoke beedis and 36 per cent consume snuff and chew tobacco. Further, about five million children are addicted to tobacco, the study said. So why do Indian films make a good smokescreen for tobacco companies? "It is the largest film producing industry in the world, over 900 films every year. Approximately 15 million people watch an Indian film everyday either in theatre or at home on TV." And to eliminate tobacco-use from films, the study suggests that they declare "no pay-offs from the tobacco industry", get an `Adult' rating for showing tobacco and stop identifying tobacco brands in films, among others.

Tobacco trivia

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