# Sanjay Gupta questions smoking stars on Animal, Dhurandhar and Love & War posters

Published 2026-09-27T11:35:20Z

> Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has asked why Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal are shown smoking on the posters of Animal, Dhurandhar and Love & War when theatres make audiences sit through anti-smoking reels.

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has called out Hindi cinema's habit of selling its leading men with a cigarette in hand. On Sunday, he posted a collage on X of three recent looks: Ranbir Kapoor in Animal, Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar and Vicky Kaushal in Love & War. All three actors are smoking in them.

The films come from Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Aditya Dhar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Gupta pointed to the gap between the warnings audiences get inside the theatre and the images used to sell the film. "What is the point of those unpleasant anti smoking reels we have to endure before and during films when these are the posters of the films?" he wrote.

Many users on X agreed with him. One said it was a joke, like watching a show on Netflix or Apple and being warned about alcohol. Not everyone was on his side, though. One user reportedly brought up a song about cigarette smoke in Gupta's own 2002 film Kaante and called the post ironic. Gupta reportedly replied that there were no anti-smoking ads back then.

The debate comes as the rules on what films can show get stricter. On September 16, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry notified revised guidelines for the Central Board of Film Certification under the Cinematograph Act. Any scene showing the use, consumption or trafficking of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances must now carry an on-screen warning: "Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs." The guidelines also tell the board to make sure violence and other anti-social acts are not glorified.

The Centre has also reportedly named a new 18-member CBFC board, and Shashi Shekhar Vempati stays on as chairperson. Reports say the panel includes filmmaker Priyadarshan, producer Supriya Yarlagadda, musician Ricky Kej and actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty and Prosenjit Chatterjee.

## Related titles
- [Animal](https://clapnumber.com/movies/animal)
- [Dhurandhar](https://clapnumber.com/movies/dhurandhar)

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Source: https://clapnumber.com/news/sanjay-gupta-questions-smoking-stars-on-animal-dhurandhar-and-love-war-posters
Retrieved: 2026-09-27