Noted Malayalam actor Anoop Menon and Dhathri Ayurveda, a Kerala-based cosmetic products manufacture have been ordered to pay fines of Rs 10,000 each for ¡°false promises¡± in an advertisement.
The complainant, Francis Vadakkan a resident of Thrissur had alleged that in 2012 he had used Dhathri Hair Cream, which was endorsed by Menon, had promised ¡°lush hair growth within six weeks¡±.
However, according to Vadakkan, even after using the hair cream for a long, it did not provide any result.
Vadakkan who said he was mocked by friends and relatives for using the hair oil served a legal notice to the actor, Dhathri and the store which sold it, demanding Rs 5 lakhs in compensation.
While the company withdrew the ad following the notice, it refused to pay any compensation, following which Vadakkan filed a complaint at the consumer forum against the three accused.?
During the hearing, Menon told the forum that though he had endorsed the brand and was featured in its TV commercial, he was unaware of the newspaper ad in which the hair growth guarantee was made.
Menon further told the forum that he had never personally used the hair cream and has so far only used oil prepared by his mother.
Nearly eight years after the complaint was filed, the consumer forum in September, ruled in favour of Vadakkan and asked Menon, and Dhathri to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each while the seller has been ordered to pay Rs 3,000.
The company, in a statement said "All Dhathri Ayurveda products undergo extensive clinical studies conducted by independent labs and the results are registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI). This dispute pertains to an advertisement that appeared in 2010, around the product Dhathri Hair Protector, and the case was registered in 2012. The disputed advertisement has not been used for many years now."
In 2016, there was a similar case in Kerala, which also involved a high profile brand ambassador.?
Malayalam superstar Mammootty found himself entangled in legal trouble after a 67-year-old man approached the court alleging that he did not become fair as claimed in the ad of beauty soap.
The complainant had sought Rs 50,000 as compensation, but the matter was settled outside the court by the company which agreed to pay Rs 30,000.?
In 2019, parliament had passed the Consumer Protection Act under which celebrity endorsers can be held liable for misleading advertisements.