The Supreme Court has given its verdict that Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has to serve time in jail, for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. However, despite the verdict, the brand equity of the star hasn’t gone down. On the other hand, the popularity of Dutt has in fact increased of late.
The ‘Angeepath’ actor will continue to appear in the ads of jewellery brand Gitanjali Sangini, along with wife Manyata for another two years. The chairman and managing director of the brand, Mehul Choksi, said that the actor had signed a three-year contract with the company in the year 2012 and the group has seen value in the star’s endorsement.
Choksi said, “Will anyone stop watching his movies when he is in jail? The answer is ‘no’. Then why should we stop ads featuring him? The MD added that his ‘Gandhigiri’ image is very much alive in the minds of the people and also has a huge fan following. The chairperson also said that he is not a hardened criminal, due to which there is no reason they should drop him from the ads which symbolises togetherness with his wife.
The company said that they will continue with the ad till 2015, even if the ‘Rascals’ star is behind bars. Gitanjali used the ads with the stars even after March 21, 2013, when the Supreme Court upheld the conviction.
