Dark and handsome Shahrukh Khan opts for fair and lovely. The News International - Instep Today

SRK update
Dark and handsome Shahrukh Khan opts for fair and lovely

Aqsa Hussain

King Khan's association with Emami Group for two years now has made him take yet another step toward strengthening his faith in Emami Group. And what he's doing for them now is another absolutely unpredictable move, that King Khan is famous for. Shahrukh Khan been tied in as a brand ambassador for the company's fairness cream for men "Emami Fair and Handsome".

Emami is publicizing the product as: 'A unique fairness cream for men, which is a breakthrough. It will make men's skin fair and handsome in four weeks and will also help in alleviating stress and fatigue signs.' SRK will be endorsing the fairness cream in India for two years, so rest assured that a lot of men will be buying.

It seems that India is turning the concept of fairness on its head. The usage of fairness creams is predominant in India and Pakistan specially, but so far fairness creams have been targeted at women. Fairness creams sell like hotcakes in countries that seem to be obsessed with women being fair. The more gori a girl is, the more beautiful she is considered to be. In Pakistan, fairness cream ads that feature a dark girl having problems finding a husband, using a fairness cream and then getting married have come under fire from intellectuals.

However, now, with all the research Indian companies are doing, they have discovered that 30 per cent of the users for fairness products are men. The Emami group has chosen to cash in on this. One is waiting to see what kind of an ad Shahrukh Khan will do. It will probably be tongue-in-cheek and witty. With the obsession with fairness creams, that seem to insult the dark complexion of women in the sub-continent, just the fact that the biggest star in Indian cinema will promote a fairness cream turns the 'fair and lovely' status quo on its head. Perhaps that is why Sharukh has agreed to be their brand ambassador.

It is seen that men are now focusing on looking good and they have increasingly been using fairness creams and other products. Metrosexuality is a part of Indian urban culture now and Shahrukh with his range of Kaun Banega Crorepati suits and clothes and being the only male star to feature in a Lux ad epitomizes the urban male.

However, Shahrukh's selection really does makes one wonder why he agreed considering that his skin is rather dark. Will the fairness cream make him more gora eventually? How will this effect his popularity? Would King Khan still be King if he becomes fair and lovely? And most of all, does Gauri Khan, who has the sark sultry look herself want her husband to be fair?

We think it's just the money involved. Shahrukh is after all, the first Indian actor who agrees to dance at the nuptials of the rich and famous for a price, though you have to be Lakshmi Mittal to afford him. King Khan has already represented brands like Himani Navratna Oil and Himani Sona Chandi Chyawanprash. Previously Aishwarya and Amitabh have also worked for Emami, so could this be a case of poaching on the Bachchan territory?

Shahrukh being the most most popular salesman of brands is also the highest tax payer in Bollywood. Indian excise officials say that SRK alone paid 4.8 crore rupees as service tax last year, which is nearly 10 per cent of his annual 50 crore rupee income from advertisements. Next in line is Amitabh Bachchan who is second highest contributor to service tax in the film industry followed by son Abhishek. The Big B paid Rs 1.50 crore while Abhishek paid Rs 1 crore the same as Rani Mukherjee who tops among actresses.

So Shahrukh is already one up on the Bachchans as far as the endorsement game is concerned. Him being Shahrukh, expectations are high, so we hope that just making money is not the sole prerogative of his tie up with emami. We're all dying to see where Shahrukh takes the endorsement of a fairness cream for men.