NGO threatens action against Ash, Sanjay over smoking posters

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish has run into a controversy ahead of its release, with an NGO taking objection to posters displayed across Mumbai, showing actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan smoking.

National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) has threatened legal action against Aishwarya and the producer-director.

"The innumerable posters and banners of film Guzaarish displayed all over Mumbai shows Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai smoking a cigarette. There would be scores of other scenes which could be displayed to convey the storyline of the film. Yet the producer has chosen this particular one, quiet oblivious to its after effect," NOTE India general secretary Shekhar Salkar told PTI.

Salkar, who had dragged Amitabh Bachchan to the high court for similar offence during the promotion of Family, said a legal notice would be issued against Aishwarya and Bhansali by Wednesday.

The NGO has demanded withdrawal of posters showing the smoking scenes from the publicity campaign of the movie, scheduled to release this Friday.

"The display of posters showing Aishwarya smoking raises worries in our mind that such depictions could be trend setter," he said.