Stars told to put their cigarettes out

To most Indians Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are beyond criticism — undisputed titans of Bollywood and embodiments of contemporary Indian style and masculinity.

But not to Anbumani Ramadoss, the Indian Health Minister, who has urged the pair to stop setting a bad example to young Indians by smoking.

Mr Ramadoss, who is campaigning to ban smoking on screen, said that he was worried about the number of young Indians becoming addicted to tobacco.

"I would like to make an appeal not only to Mr Shah Rukh Khan but also to Amitabh Bachchan and to all the other personalities. Children are being affected," he told CNN-IBN television.

"There shouldn't be any smoking scenes in movies because we have statistics showing that 52 per cent of children have their first puff of cigarette due to movie celebrities."

Mr Khan, 42, who often lights up in public and on screen, hit back yesterday by saying that any attempt to curb creative freedom amounted to censorship.

Read More