Not just the products but also actors endorsing them are under scanner most predominantly since the Maggi debacle. 67-year-old K Chaathu from Wayanad district used the popular Kerala brand soap Indulekha for over a year. Chaathu didn’t find any difference in his skin tone and decided to file a complaint in the district consumer court against both Indulekha and the National award-winning actor Mammootty for Rs 50,000 compensation.
In an out of court settlement, Indulekha gave Rs 30,000. Speaking to Newsminute, Chaathu said, “We have all seen a series of advertisements by Indulekha white soap. Their claim seemed very convincing and Mammootty’s appearance increased their credibility. But even a fraction of their claim is not true, I have experienced it. At some point, after continually listening to these advertisements, I believed that it might be true. I thought the soap can make me fair. We tried it for the past year but could not even find a slight change.”
Chaathu tells that it wasn’t about the money and it’s all about the false claims that these products and the actors endorsing it make. Citing the tagline in the court, the Sculptor said, ‘soundaryam ningale thedi varum’ (Beauty will come in search of you) which is endorsed by Mammooty in the TV ad is misleading.
“Indulekha is just an example. I am sure that there are hundreds of products which do the same. People should react,” told to Newsminute.