Top Celebrity Brand Ambassador Failures in India
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India’s celebs often lend their star power to brands, but sometimes these partnerships crash spectacularly. What happens when an endorsement backfires? In a market where image and authenticity rule, a misaligned campaign or a public scandal can quickly turn a lucrative deal into a PR nightmare.
From fairness creams to real estate projects, India has seen its share of high-profile endorsement flops that left fans and companies reeling. Let’s look at ten of the most notorious cases where celebrity ambassadors and brands both took a hit.
Which Celebrity Endorsements Backfired Spectacularly?
Which Celebrity Endorsements Backfired Spectacularly?
Shah Rukh Khan, Fair & Handsome (Emami Fairness Cream)
Shah Rukh Khan long promoted Emami’s Fair & Handsome fairness cream. The ad campaign (often showing him with pale skin) drew intense criticism for promoting colorism. In 2014, activists launched #DarkAndBeautiful, urging Khan and Emami to drop “fairness” products.
Consumer groups highlighted that no cream can legitimately promise “fairness in three weeks,” and courts fined Emami INR 15 lakh for misleading claims in 2024. Public outcry painted both brand and star in a bad light: Khan’s image as a progressive icon was questioned, and Emami eventually rebranded Fair & Handsome as “Glow & Handsome” amid the backlash.
The episode shows how endorsing a controversial product can overshadow both celebrity cachet and brand credibility.
Amitabh Bachchan, Pepsi (Soft Drink)
Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan was a Pepsi brand ambassador in the early 2000s. However, in 2013, he publicly revealed why he ended that tie-up. During a school event, a young girl asked him why he promoted a drink her teacher called “poison.” Bachchan, moved by the comment, said he felt the question echoed public sentiment and immediately decided to stop endorsing Pepsi.
As he told an IIM audience, the girl’s remark made him realise people were concerned about soft drinks. He duly exited the campaign. The incident showed that even a casual remark by a child could trigger a star’s decision, reflecting fears over health and responsibility. Pepsi lost Bachchan’s popularity in India after 2005, and the brand had to find new faces. For Bachchan, the episode burnished his socially-conscious image, but it also underscored the risk that endorsing “everyday” products can invite unexpected backlash.
Aamir Khan, Snapdeal (E‑commerce)
In late 2015, Aamir Khan was the face of Snapdeal, starring in its “Dil Ki Deal” campaigns. But after he spoke about feeling unsafe in India, a political firestorm erupted. Online activists accused him of being “anti-India,” and #AppWapsi campaigns urged people to uninstall Snapdeal’s app.
According to Hindustan Times, Snapdeal “decided not to renew” Khan’s contract in early 2016, even though it was extendable for another year. What went wrong was Khan’s off-screen remarks on intolerance, which spilt over onto the brand. Angry users publicly deleted Snapdeal from phones, and the company quietly stopped using its ads.
The fallout hit both sides: Snapdeal’s reputation took a short-term hit (its stock price dipped and user ratings slumped), while Khan lost a high-profile endorsement (and even lost the Incredible India tourism campaign). This case shows how a celebrity’s personal comments can swamp an unrelated brand, forcing companies to cut ties for damage control
M.S. Dhoni, Amrapali Homes (Real Estate)
In 2013, MS Dhoni signed on as brand ambassador for Amrapali Realty. But by 2016, homebuyers were furious: projects were years delayed, and promised flats were nowhere close to finished. Buyers took to Twitter, tagging Dhoni in their complaints.
As The Times of India reported, Dhoni was “forced to step down” after being publicly shamed by angry customers. The crux of what went wrong was that Amrapali failed to deliver on its promises, yet Dhoni’s image was used to sell them.
When Amrapali Homes fell behind schedule, people blamed Dhoni for promoting a project that was failing. To protect his brand, Dhoni quit as ambassador. For Amrapali, the damage was huge: the controversy scarred its reputation further, and it struggled to find other celebrity sponsors.
For Dhoni, it was a cautionary tale; even a beloved sports icon was not immune to fallout if the endorsed business misbehaved
Ranbir Kapoor, Tata Docomo (Telecom)
In the early 2010s, Ranbir Kapoor was the face of Tata Docomo mobile networks. Initially, the ads (showing Ranbir celebrating clarity of call and network strength) were a hit. But as network issues persisted and revenues fell, the telecom sector cut celebrity deals.
By 2013, industry insiders revealed that “Tata Docomo has ended its endorsement deal with actor Ranbir Kapoor”. The explanation given was budgeting and poor returns on expensive celebrity ads. In short, Ranbir’s upbeat commercials couldn’t mask Docomo’s service shortcomings, so the telecom moved away from stars.
Docomo’s brand switched to non-celebrity campaigns, and Ranbir lost one of his biggest endorsement contracts. The user backlash wasn’t dramatic, but insiders saw this as a lesson that flashy ads mean little without strong service.
Ranbir’s public image was hardly tarnished (mobile users blamed operators), but Docomo’s retreat showed how fragile telecom marketing can be; celebrity power alone can’t compensate for weak performance.
Sakshi Jadhav
Brett Lee, Pearls Group (Real Estate/Investment)
Australian cricketer Brett Lee lent his fame to India’s Pearls Group (a real estate-investment firm) around 2010, even appearing in ads building sandcastles. But in 2016, the company unraveled as a massive Ponzi scheme.
Authorities accused Pearls Group of duping up to $10 billion from 50 million investors. The New Zealand Herald reported that Lee’s role in promoting the firm was under scrutiny as its executives were arrested.
The promoters of Pearls Group allegedly ran a fraudulent scheme, so Lee’s endorsement, merely a paid photoshoot, as insiders later admitted, suddenly looked disastrous. The impact: legally, Lee faced no charges, but the scandal briefly put him under a cloud in India.
The brand Pearls collapsed under investigation, and any goodwill from Lee’s fame evaporated. This case taught celebs (and startups) to vet financial clients carefully: even a year-long deal can do lasting harm if the company is criminal at core
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kalyan Jewellers (Jewelry)
Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was an ambassador for South India’s Kalyan Jewellers. In 2016, Kalyan unveiled a promotional poster showing Aishwarya lounging like a queen under a parasol held by a poor, dark-skinned girl.
The imagery, widely criticized as racist and colonialist, led to an uproar online. Public pressure forced Kalyan to withdraw the ad. For Aishwarya, the fallout was somewhat muted (it was the agency’s fault, the company said), but the controversy did embarrass the brand. Kalyan Jewellers issued a public apology and ended the campaign.
This highlighted the cultural risk when ads touch on sensitive themes. Aishwarya’s personal brand remained strong, but Kalyan learned to be more culturally aware. Even if a celebrity is innocent, their image can get tarnished by association. The swift removal of the poster was a textbook example of damage control.
Genelia D’Souza, Anjaniputra Infrastructure (Real Estate)
Actor Genelia D’Souza was the face of Hyderabad’s Anjaniputra Infrastructure realty firm. In 2017, the company imploded amid a land-allocation scam. Unscrupulous promoters allegedly duped homebuyers and landowners, and investigative agencies stepped in. Genelia was slapped with a legal notice accusing her of “duping buyers” by promoting the company.
She denied wrongdoing, but to quiet the outrage, Genelia was eventually quietly dropped from the firm’s ads. The project’s fraud reached national attention, so Genelia’s tie-up became a liability. The brand, in fact, the business, collapsed under legal cases.
For Genelia, it was a reputational scare: although she had no hand in the scam, her image was briefly tainted by being linked to a “crooked builder.” The case reminded stars to scrutinize real-estate partners, and brands to act fast if a celebrity’s reputation is at stake.
Salman Khan, Rajshree Pan Masala (Pan Masala/Cardamom)
In late 2025, a controversy erupted over a pan masala ad featuring Salman Khan. The ad claimed to contain real saffron in its silver-coated cardamom product, which BJP leaders called misleading. A consumer complaint accused Salman of promoting gutkha to youth and filed a case in a Kota consumer court.
Salman’s team responded in court that he had only endorsed “silver-coated cardamom” (not gutkha) and that the saffron claim was false advertising. The case is ongoing, but the uproar itself was telling.
Even though Salman legally defended himself, the episode shows that endorsing anything linked to tobacco or gutkha is extremely risky. It sparked fresh debate on celebrities’ social responsibility.
The brand (Rajshree Pan Masala) had to issue clarifications, and Salman’s image as a family-friendly hero was briefly questioned for partnering with a product in the vice category. It underscored that in India, even apparently innocuous products (cardamom) can become tainted by association and result in legal hassles.
Madhuri Dixit, Maggi Noodles (Nestlé Maggi)
In 2015, a food-safety crisis engulfed Nestlé’s Maggi instant noodles when tests found excessive lead and MSG. The government briefly banned Maggi and ordered a nationwide recall. Madhuri Dixit (along with Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta) had been the star faces of Maggi ads.
In May 2015, Madhuri was served a legal notice by regulators over her Maggi promotion. Shortly after, a Bihar court even ordered an FIR against the three actors for allegedly endorsing a faulty product.
Nestlé lost over INR 3,000 crore in sales during the recall. The celebrities faced public scrutiny and legal hassle, though they maintained they didn’t know of the contamination. Ultimately, Maggi was cleared by fresh tests and relaunched, but its brand image was dented, and Nestlé overhauled its quality checks.
The crisis showed that celebrity endorsements can backfire spectacularly if a product fails basic safety: stars found themselves caught up in lawsuits for simply trusting a brand.
Conclusion: What can brands learn from these mishaps?
First, due diligence is crucial; both companies and celebrities must ensure each other’s credibility. A famous face cannot fix an inherently bad product or project. Brands should align with ambassadors whose image truly fits their values, and end contracts at the first sign of major trouble.
Second, speed is key when a crisis hits: several of these companies pulled ads, apologized, and even rebranded (e.g., Emami’s Glow & Handsome) to contain damage.
Finally, both sides must remember endorsement is a two-way street. As one expert noted, celebrities should be “liable if something goes wrong,” and should at least be willing to walk away gracefully if an endorsed brand falls short.
Arijit Karan
FAQs
Why are endorsements of pan masala and tobacco-linked products controversial?
Pan masala and tobacco-linked endorsements attract backlash due to health concerns and youth influence. Celebrities like Salman Khan have faced legal complaints and criticism, highlighting the reputational and legal risks of endorsing vice-related products in India.
Which Indian celebrity endorsement faced the biggest backlash?
One of the biggest endorsement backlashes in India was Shah Rukh Khan promoting fairness creams, which drew severe criticism for promoting colorism. Another major case was Maggi noodles, where celebrities like Madhuri Dixit faced legal action during the food safety crisis.
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