Bollywood stars are extremely influential, and are highly in-demand by brands wanting them to endorse their products. Some stars, however, want to do their bit for society by endorsing government initiatives and campaigns and channelising their immense star power to make a change in society. This edition, we bring you Bollywood celebs who have endorsed government campaigns
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. The leading actress has inspired many to take the cause of social development. She is the brand ambassador for Polio Eradication and Eye Donation. Moreover, she has taken her eye donation campaign one notch high by pledging her eyes to the Eye Bank association of India.
Amitabh Bachchan has endorsed quite a few government campaigns in his several decades long career. He was the face of ‘Gujarat Tourism’, and the state's Khushboo Gujarat Ki tourism campaign starring Bachchan has won the National Tourism Award 2011-12. The advertisement sees Bachchan explaining interesting facts about heritage and religious sites in Gujarat. The iconic star has also been associated with Tiger Conservation. He is also is the goodwill ambassador for Polio UNICEF campaign. He was appointed as the ambassador in 2005 and has since fronted their polio eradication programme successfully. Not many people know that Amitabh Bachchan suffered from Tuberculosis in the past. Which is why he is the perfect candidate to lead the India vs TB campaign launched in 2017. The campaign had to be powerful yet sensitive towards the patients suffering from it. Hence, the face of the campaign is no other than Big B who not only survived the deadly disease, but also is completely cured. Recently, there is a speculation that Mr Bachchan may soon be promoting the newly introduced GST for the government.
Vidya Balan, in her capacity as the National Sanitation Brand Ambassador, has been working hard to make India open defecation free. Over the last five years, Vidya has been part of a nationwide television and radio campaign that aims at constructing more toilets. She’s became a household name when she featured in countless ad commercials that connected with the viewers in the most interesting manner.
Salman Khan Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Abhiyan had made headlines, with several celebrities also supporting it. The mission has now received the support of Salman Khan, who became a face of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) drive against open defecation and litter. Salman's Being Human Foundation donated five mobile toilets to the BMC to be placed at Bandstand, and he has pledged to do whatever he can to help keep the city clean.
Aamir Khan has always been known for his stance on social issues, and his role as a crusader for justice has been unanimously praised. In 2012, Aamir was roped in by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, to be the face of the movement over the next one year. He was also the brand ambassador of the incredible India campaign for the Indian government, although that stint ended unceremoniously as he was removed as ambassador due to his insensitive remarks about tolerance in India. Through his TV show, Aamir Khan has promoted social causes like girl’s education and spoken out against malpractices like honour killings and medical malpractice, despite not being an official government spokesperson for these causes.
By Neeraj Varty
