Extra cautious with endorsements: Big B on Maggi controversy
New Delhi: With his name cropping up in an FIR for endorsing Maggi noodles, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who promoted the popular snack before Madhuri Dixit, said he is extra cautious with his endorsements and even has a special clause in his contract to protect himself.A case has been registered against Nestle India in a local court in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh by food regulator FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration), after they found monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the prescribed limit in Maggi samples they tested.
Big B, Madhuri and Preity Zinta have been separately named in an FIR by a local advocate in Uttar Pradesh. Responding to a question on the controversy, the 72-year-old "Piku" star said, "I did check with Nestle, who make the product, whether this is all right and if they are sure... I even put a clause in my contract where I said that I hope you people defend me, legally, if something happens. I don't endorse it now because my contract is over." Bachchan said as a celebrity his name gets dragged into controversies so he has become careful. "Every time there is something consumable, I try to have a look at it because they are always up for a lot of controversies. And, if you are in some celebrity position, then you are bound to get attacked and getting drawn into it," Amitabh Bachchan told CNN-IBN.
"These are some precautions I like to take. I will always be cautious but if there is a question, I refer it back to the question and say look, this is it, now what do we do and are you going to answer to it? Because obviously, all the attention is being drawn towards me and I wouldn't like that. But if there is a legal issue and there is an affirmation of the content and if there are authorities that have confirmed that, then you need to look at it differently and stop," the Bollywood megastar added.
Madhuri, who is the current face of the brand, was first to get Haridwar Food and Drug Administration's notice for claims made about the nutritional value of Maggi in the advertisement.
The 48-year-old actress later took to Twitter to explain that she met with the brand officials. "Like most of India, I have enjoyed Maggi noodles for years. I was very concerned after recent reports and met with the Nestle team. Nestle explained that they always place the consumer first and have the highest quality standards. "Nestle has reassured me that they adhere to stringent testing for quality and safety and are working with the authorities closely," she tweeted.
