'Agneepath', touted as one of the biggest films of 2012 was released to a thunderous box office response on the occasion of Republic Day. An action-packed film that has the right-proportioned ingredients for success, the grooving Chikni Chameli has helped the film generate a mass following.
To come straight to the matter of our context, Chikni is heard saying twice in the energy-rich rendition, "Husn Ki Teelli Se Beedi-Chillam Jalaane Aayi ...". Keeping aside arguments like creative freedom of expression, this is clearly a marketing ploy to target the masses.
It is a matter of question if Chikni and her ardent followers who brought the film a collection of Rs.25 crores on the first day know the harmful effects of beedi.
Called the poor man's smoke or poor man's cigarette, beedi is a forest product that contains finely ground sun-dried tobacco rolled in brown tendu leaf. The cheapest tobacco smoking product in the world, costing about a one-third of an US cent in India, a beedi contains about one-fourth the quantity of tobacco as a cigarette and yet delivers a higher amount of tar and nicotine.
Studies have proven that in India, mortality rates among beedi smokers were reported to be significantly higher compared to smokeless tobacco users or non-tobacco users. Beedis increase the risk of cancers, heart and lung diseases.
A household industry, bidi industry employs as many as 44,11,275 workers in India and 136,416 workers in Kerala (2001 estimates). The continuous exposure to tobacco dust increases the risk of cancer among beedi workers.
More inputs on beedis and its impact on health can be had from here
Chikni Chameli, keep the Beedi away!
Image courtesy - MoHFW website
No comments:
Post a Comment