It all came to a head with a pointed post on Instagram. “This REEL is making it sound like I’m endorsing their product,” he wrote. “They have just taken a clip from an interview without any permissions and used it as an endorsement from my end.” He followed up by saying a legal notice was in the mail and told his followers to be on guard.
How the reel created the illusion
The video in question, which has since been scrubbed from the brand’s page, cobbled together a bit of an old interview where Madhavan talked about dropping some weight in 21 days with a man posing as a doctor. It was edited to give the impression of a seal of approval. But if you look at the page, it’s not an isolated case; the account has done the same with clips of Karan Johar and Ram Kapoor to add some gravitas.
Here are the core developments Madhavan highlighted and what followed:
– Legal notice sent by Madhavan after spotting the reel.
– Brand deleted the reel after receiving the notice.
– Clip cited weight loss in 21 days.
– A man claiming to be a doctor featured.
– Account also referenced Karan Johar, Ram Kapoor.
His call-out was well-received. One follower said thanks for speaking up, noting they had been hounded by the very same account to try out some weight loss jabs but put their foot down when it didn’t sit right. Another said they tried to report it but were stonewalled with a ‘community guidelines’ response.
The line he will not let brands cross
“You cannot take a clip of somebody’s interview and make it part of your endorsement. Please BEWARE of these kinds of professionals and organisations,” Madhavan added in his caption.
Silence from the brand, stronger calls from fans
There’s been no word back from the company yet, though the reel is gone. Some in the comments are urging him to go after them harder. “You should make a video and tell people not to use this product… put that product in bin. Stonger msg,” one fan put it.
Why this incident matters beyond one reel
It’s a fair point. When you see a well-known face being put to work for an ad without a deal or a fine print, it muddies the waters. As for the brand: you can’t just put a star in your campaign without a contract.
What is next for Madhavan on screen
Off-screen, Madhavan has been busy. After the box office success of Dhurandhar The Revenge, he has a few things in the pipeline like G. D. N, Adhirshtasaali and the bilingual Circle. No dates have been set for those. And while there are whispers he may be in Alpha with Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, nothing is confirmed.
