True stardom is not just about entertaining millions; it is about protecting them too.

An Appeal to Conscience: Celebrities, Influence, and the Cost of Tobacco

Dear Shahrukh Khan (and all public figures we admire),

We have always celebrated you not just for your unmatched talent and charisma, but also for the responsibility you have shown over the years – whether it was quitting smoking on public platforms, promoting fitness, or supporting meaningful social causes.

That is why recent images and reports of your performance at a wedding associated with a prominent tobacco brand owner have left millions of your fans deeply concerned and disappointed.

Tobacco kills over 1.3 million people every year in India alone. It is the single largest cause of preventable death and disease in our country. Every cigarette smoked, every gutka pouch consumed, destroys families – especially the poorest ones who can least afford both the product and the treatment.

When a star of your stature appears at events linked to the tobacco industry – even privately – it sends a powerful and dangerous message. Young fans who look up to you may see it as indirect acceptance or normalisation of an industry that profits from addiction and death.

We understand that weddings are personal celebrations and artists earn their livelihood through performances. But when the money comes from a business built on selling cancer, asthma, heart disease, and lifelong suffering, the cost is simply too high – not just for society, but for the legacy of the icons we love.

We respectfully urge you, and every influential celebrity, to refuse such associations in future – no matter how lucrative or “private” the event may be. Your one decision can save thousands of lives by denying the tobacco industry the glamour and legitimacy it desperately seeks.

True stardom is not just about entertaining millions; it is about protecting them too.

With hope and admiration,  

A concerned fan and citizen who still believes King Khan can inspire the right choices.